


Laws of Nature [2]

by kippistaser



Series: Baby Werecoyote Saga [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:02:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 68,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22731442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kippistaser/pseuds/kippistaser
Summary: Marlow Stilinski was dating Liam Dunbar and her friendship with Mason Hewitt was stronger than ever. Nothing could ruin this school year for her - or so she thought. An old friend of her brother Stiles and his best friend Scott McCall tries to join the Pack. Marlow is skeptical of his motives, yet feels herself trusting him.And as if the new guy wasn't enough of a nuisance, teenagers were running around Beacon Hills. Teenagers who shouldn't be shapeshifters. Teenagers who defied every law Marlow had thought to be true. Meanwhile, the mysterious Dread Doctors in town give Marlow visions of an old friend she never thought she'd see again.[Season 5 of Teen Wolf]
Relationships: Liam Dunbar/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Baby Werecoyote Saga [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1652281
Comments: 6
Kudos: 2





	1. cast

_**Jenny Boyd** as **Marlow Marie Stilinski**_

_**Danielle Rose Russell** as **Riley Iris Stevens**_

_**Additional Cast;** _

_**Dylan Sprayberry** as **Liam Dunbar**_

_**Khylin Rhambo** as **Mason Hewitt**_

_**Tyler Posey** as **Scott McCall**_

_**Dylan O'Brien** as **Stiles Stilinski**_

_**Holland Roden** as **Lydia Martin**_

_**Shelley Hennig** as **Malia Tate**_

_**Arden Cho** as **Kira Yukimura**_

_**Cody Christian** as **Theo Raeken**_

_**Victoria Moroles** as **Hayden Romero**_

_**Michael Johnston** as **Corey Bryant**_

_**Linden Ashby** as **Sheriff Noah Stilinski**_

_**Melissa Ponzio** as **Melissa McCall**_

_**JR Bourne** as **Chris Argent**_

_**Ryan Kelley** as **Deputy Jordan Parrish**_


	2. the last day of summer

**Beacon Hills, sometime in 2014**

Marlow leaned against the front desk of the police station with a sigh. Her father may have not handcuffed her to a desk like he did Stiles once they got back from Mexico but he still grounded both her and Stiles for the entire summer. They had to spend nearly three months locked away at home. Stiles had to beg Noah to be allowed to go to his Senior Scribe. Noah wanted to remain with his sentencing but eventually gave in and let him go.

After several attempts to escape through her window, Marlow was forced to come to the station with her dad whenever he worked. The last night of summer was one of those times. Marlow had taken in a nap in the holding cell when she was awoken by the burgeoning storm and walked out into the bullpen. 

Everyone was busy as the storm was starting to hit and nervous people all over town started calling because the power was beginning to go out. The lights in the station flickered once more and Marlow watched as Deputy Parrish picked up the phone at the front desk once more with a sigh.

He had been relegated to desk duty until Lydia could help him figure out what kind of shapeshifter he was and he wasn't having it anymore. Marlow understood his predicament. She and Liam were just starting to go steady with their relationship and then she hadn't seen him for months. Deputies were hurrying out of the station. 

"Yes, ma'am, we're having trouble with the power as well. It's most likely related to the storm." Parrish told the woman on the other line. He hung up the phone as Noah walked out of his office.

"Parrish! Check the backup generator and make sure it's fueled," he ordered. The phones were still ringing off the hook. "And Parrish. Answer the phone."

Parrish sighed and gave Marlow a look. She narrowed her eyes at him. "What?"

"Can you answer the phone for a second?"

Marlow tilted her head. "Is that legal?"

He held up two fingers. "Two minutes." he pleaded. Marlow sighed and walked behind the counter. "Thank you so much!" Parrish said. He squeezed her arm and walked right into her dad's office.

Marlow fought the urge to pick up the phone and tell the person on the other line that she was being held hostage at the police station. Most calls were about the power outage anyway. A few minutes later Parrish walked out of Noah's office and up to his desk. He grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. 

"Hold on, you get to leave?" Marlow asked. Parrish shrugged. "Wait! Take me with you," she demanded. But Parrish had already walked out of the station. Marlow dropped her head down on the front desk with a sigh.

Noah walked out of his office once more as Marlow took another phone call. "Yes, sir, we're having trouble with the power as well. It's due to the storm," she said. She didn't know what to say exactly so she just repeated what Parrish said each time. 

"Marlow, why are you answering the phone?" Noah asked. 

Marlow shrugged. "I guess you're understaffed, Dad."

Noah sighed as he looked out into the mostly empty bullpen. "Just, redirect the important calls to me," he told her. Marlow nodded and braced herself for the next few hours.

* * *

Parrish had been out investigating the noise complaint for about over an hour and Marlow was beginning to drown in phone calls. It had been the busiest night at the station that summer and more and more people were being brought in to the station. They ranged from suspects about to be questioned to drunks who get to sleep off their high in the holding cell. Marlow groaned out as the phone rang again. "I wanna die!"

"Your punishment ends tomorrow!" Noah reminded her. That didn't help her now.

She jumped as two Deputies carried a struggling teen into the station. "Hey, keep it moving, buddy. Come on." Deputy Clark told the boy.

"You guys are making a mistake." the boy said. Marlow leaned forward on the desk to confirm her suspicions about who the perp was. Her eyes didn't betray her. It was Donovan Donati. She had seen him in and out of the station a couple of times that summer.

"Hey." Deputy Clark warned as Donovan tried to free herself from her grip.

"All right," Donovan said.

"Come on," Clark told him. She grabbed his arm tighter.

"Ow! What the hell are you trying to do? Break my arm?" Donovan asked appalled.

"Keep struggling and I'll be aiming for a compound fracture," Clark replied.

Noah walked out of his office. "Donovan, you forgot what the judge said, didn't you? 'Next time is jail time.'"

"Stilinski, wait. Hold up. Come on." Donovan said.

"What's he in for?" Noah asked.

"B and E. And he was carrying a loaded.38," Clark told him.

"Okay, it wasn't mine. Sheriff, come on. It wasn't mine." Donovan told him pleadingly. Marlow rolled her eyes. From what she had seen him get arrested for throughout the summer an armed robbery didn't seem too far off.

"Book him." Noah finally said.

"Oh, you're dead," Donovan said. Marlow perked up. She wasn't about to stand by and watch this dude threaten her father. "Hey, look at me! You're dead! You're dead! You're going to do this to me? You son of a bitch, you're dead! Look at me!" he yelled as the deputies led him off.

"Have fun going to jail, Donovan!" Marlow yelled as she looked at her phone.

"Can anyone tell me, why the hell Parrish isn't back yet?" Noah yelled angrily.

Marlow looked at her dad. "Maybe we should go look for him," she suggested. 

Noah sighed. "Marlow, you can go home."

"Alone? It's raining buckets outside and I don't have a car yet."

Noah sighed again. "Dear God. Alright, but you're staying inside the car," he told his daughter firmly. Marlow nodded. Anything to get out of the station. She grabbed her jacket and followed her dad out to the Sheriff's car.

* * *

The car ride was quiet. Marlow didn't know what to talk about. And she felt as though her dad was still thinking about Donovan. She took a good look at her dad. He was quiet as well, his eyes fixed on the road. Marlow knew the Donovan situation got to him. She knew he had a history with Donovan's dad. "Hey, Dad."

Noah kept his eyes on the road. "Mmmh," he hummed. 

"You know it's not your fault, right?" Marlow asked him.

Noah halted for a second, then looked over at his daughter. "What isn't, honey?"

Marlow sighed. "You know, Donovan and his criminal masterplans that always fail."

"Marlow," Noah said with a sigh.

Marlow turned her head to face him. "No, Dad. Donovan made his own choices. Choices that lead him to where he is now. You gave him a chance. Several chances. He didn't take them and now he's going to jail. You did the best you could. It's not your fault." she told him. She truly meant it. Marlow hated it whenever her dad blamed himself for having to book a kid. It was their choice and not his fault.

Noah sighed once more. He took his hand off the steering wheel patted her thigh. "Thank you."

Marlow smiled at him. "It's just the truth."

Noah turned into a road. Marlow thought they were close to the house. "I'm sorry for keeping you locked up at home all summer. I know it was hard on you, especially not seeing Liam," he said with a joking wink. 

Marlow rolled her eyes. "Dad, I told you that you don't have to be scared for me. Liam is a sweetheart and I know how to defend myself." she reminded him. She flicked out her claws and he slightly flinched. 

"Woah!"

Marlow retracted the claws with a slight laugh. "Sorry."

Noah laughed. "No worries. I know, Liam is nice but I also know that he's your first boyfriend and I just want you to be safe."

Marlow cringed. "Dad, please! We went through sex-ed in freshman year. I know about all of that."

Noah laughed again. "I know you know. I just wanted to remind you," he said as he stopped the cruiser in front of a decrepit looking house. He cut the engine and opened the door.

"Hey, should I come with you? In case there's any trouble?" Marlow asked.

Noah smiled at her. "No, thank you, Deputy Stilinski. I think I can handle this one on my own."

Marlow smiled back. "Be careful," she warned as Noah shut the car door. He gave her a wave and carefully approached the house.

Marlow sighed and looked at her phone. She had attempted to text Liam all night. It was another full moon after all - she could feel it. But he hadn't responded. Marlow was sure Scott could handle it but she still didn't trust Stiles around Liam. Marlow attempted to call Liam. He didn't answer. Neither did Scott or Stiles. 

She was starting to think something had gone down without her knowing about it. The young werecoyote looked out of the car window. The storm was getting worse. She could see several bolts of lightning striking in the difference.

Marlow didn't know why but something felt off. She wondered how long her dad had been in the house. She looked at the clock and realized five minutes had already passed. If it was only a noise complaint neither Parrish nor her dad should be taking that long to come back out of the house. 

Marlow slowly opened the door and got out of the car. Her heart was racing. It didn't even look like anyone was living in the house. She walked around the hood of the car and up the driveway to the house. She wished she would have dressed better for the weather but Marlow hadn't expected the storm either.

She rubbed her bare arms and regretted only wearing a sleeveless top and hot pants. The wind picked up and Marlow's long brown hair whipped around her face.

She was getting scared and felt like she should have just walked home. "This is the beginning of every horror movie." she sang quietly, trying to calm herself down. Marlow stopped shortly before the porch. She saw a 'For Sale' sign in front of the house, which only further cemented her belief that the noise complaint was bogus and simply a trap.

Before she could walk into the house her dad came busting out of the front door carrying Parrish. The young Deputy had bleeding claw marks on his chest and Marlow stumbled back, nearly tumbling down the stairs. "Get in the car, Marlow!" Noah yelled.

Marlow nodded numbly and jumped back into the passenger side of the cruiser. "What happened?!" she asked as Noah loaded Parrish into the back of the car.

"I don't know. I have to get to the hospital. Call Melissa and tell her we're coming!" he ordered. Marlow nodded and dialed Melissa's number. Whatever hurt Parrish probably wouldn't stop with him and Marlow was getting worried about her friends.

* * *

Marlow paced up and down in front of the morgue. She wasn't allowed to go in and still couldn't reach anyone in the Pack due to the storm. Something was happening and she felt like she was just uselessly standing around, doing nothing.

Marlow growled and ran towards the elevators. She was gonna run to the school if she had to. She had to tell her friends something. She got on the elevator and pushed the ground floor button. Once the doors opened she was suddenly met with Liam. "Hey," she said with a smile.

"Hey," he said. She walked out of the elevator and engulfed him in a hug.

Marlow had missed Liam immensely. It had been nearly nine weeks since they'd seen each other and it was getting unbearable. "I missed you."

They broke apart and he kissed her. "I missed you too," he said with a smile. "What are you doing here? I thought you were grounded until tomorrow."

Marlow pointed down to the floor. "My dad's down there with Parrish and Melissa. Something clawed Parrish and I was on my way to the school to warn the others. I don't think this was a one-off thing."

Liam gave her a knowing look. "Should I come with you?"

Marlow nodded. "Absolutely! I need all the help I can get."

"Okay, then let's go," he said and grabbed her hand.

She looked at him and smiled at him. "Let's go." she nodded. "Do you have a car?" Marlow asked as they ran towards the front door.

"Nope. We're gonna have to make a run for it." Liam told her.

Marlow nodded and sighed. "Alright then," she said and the couple ran out into the pouring rain.

* * *

Marlow was running closely behind Liam as they arrived at school. She still had no clue what attacked Parrish and was getting more worried by the second. They hadn't found Scott but could see Stiles and Malia seeking refuge from the rain. 

They had just had a moment and Marlow wanted to tell Liam to slow down. When he ran up to them, Malia quickly turned around and violently pushed him to the ground. Marlow was close enough behind him that his fall accidentally took her down with him. "Ow!" Marlow complained as she sat up. Liam huffed out in pain.

"Oh, my God," Stiles said.

Liam opened his eyes and looked up at them. "Scott's in trouble," he said. Malia looked up at Stiles.

Marlow got off the floor and pulled Liam up. "We gotta go. Right now!" she yelled at them.

Stiles nodded and the four of them ran off to find Scott. "I think Scott and Kira are under the bridge!" Stiles yelled as they ran through the rain. They didn't need to search further as they heard growls and roaring coming from under the bridge.

When they arrived, Scott was kneeling on the ground and a strange giant werewolf had his claws dug into Scott's chest. Marlow, Liam, Stiles, and Malia came to a halt, and Marlow and Liam growled at the scene. Kira stood at the side with her katana drawn and there was another stranger next to her in full-shift. 

Scott groaned out and Marlow was scared that he was dying. But then he got up off the floor slowly, grabbed the stranger's arm, and twisted it. He groaned out and ripped his arm away. His claws fell to the floor. "I don't know who you are or what you thought you were going to do, but I'll give you a choice," Scott told the stranger. "You can stay and I'll break something else. Or you can run."

The stranger looked over at the group as if to seek guidance. "I'd run," Stiles told him. The stranger got up off the floor and ran. Marlow was still in shock. Scott and Kira united with their friends as the other stranger turned to them, now back in his human form.

Marlow had never seen him before. "You don't remember me, do you?" he asked. Marlow narrowed her eyes at him. "I guess I look a little different since the fourth grade."

"Theo?" Scott suddenly asked. Theo smiled at Scott. Now that Marlow had heard his name she remembered him. His sister died and suddenly he and his family were gone.

"You know him?" Malia asked.

"They used to," Theo replied. "Trust me, I never thought I'd see you guys again. Couple of months ago, I heard of an Alpha in Beacon Hills. When I found out his name was Scott McCall, just couldn't believe it. Not just an Alpha, but a True Alpha." Theo explained, practically gushing over Scott. Marlow gave Theo a skeptical look. Why would Theo want to be in Scott's pack? And why now?

"What do you want?" Scott asked.

"I came back to Beacon Hills. Back home with my family. Because I want to be a part of your pack." Theo told him. Everyone was silent. What were they supposed to say? Theo let out a small laugh. "Don't worry, I get it. You're gonna need some time to think about it."

Marlow felt oddly drawn to him, yet there was still a stinge of distrust inside her. He turned around and looked back at them once more. "I'll see you at school," he said with a smirk. He walked away and the pack was left wondering what the hell had just happened.

Marlow narrowed her eyes. "What?" she asked the others. "Theo's a werewolf too?"

Scott shrugged. "I don't even know anymore," he admitted.

Stiles looked at his phone. "Hey, guys. We gotta go," he told the other seniors. They nodded and walked away to their Senior Scribe.

Marlow turned back to Liam. "What?!"

Liam nodded. "I don't trust him."

Marlow sighed as she and Liam walked away from the bridge. "What does he want now? After all these years?"

Liam shrugged. "I wish I knew."

Marlow turned her head to look at Liam. "I guess we'll find out more as the situation unfolds," she said. He nodded. Marlow looked at her phone. "It's late. I should get home. I hope my dad won't get mad about me walking out on my arrest."

Liam grabbed her hand with a smirk. "He has the night shift, right?"

Marlow smiled at him. She bit her lip. "Yes. And your dad's still in the hospital?" Marlow asked. Liam nodded. "Your place or mine?"

"Yours," Liam told her. Marlow laughed and they took off for her house. She was happy for now but something was off about this whole situation and she was going to find out what it was.


	3. the coyote's out of the bag

Marlow waited in the Jeep as Stiles spoke to their dad. She was on the phone with Mason who was raving to her about a book on supernatural creatures he bought from someone in Germany. Marlow didn't know what to say to him anymore. She had wanted to reveal her secret to him after the fiasco in Mexico but then she got grounded and it felt like it was simply never the right time.

She sighed as Mason kept on babbling about finding a creature in the book whose description read a lot like the Berserkers. Marlow knew she would have to tell Mason her secret sooner or later, especially given the fact that he saw her dad blow up a Berserker with a landmine, but she was still very much afraid that he would reject her for it.

"Hey, Mason. All of that sounds very interesting but I can't grasp it over the phone," she told him.

"Oh yeah, no. That makes sense. I'll tell you more about it when I see you at school."

Marlow sighed on the inside. She didn't need to hear more about the Berserkers but she couldn't just tell Mason 'no'. So instead she sat up straighter in the Jeep's passenger seat and clenched her fist. "Sure, Mase. That sounds like fun. I'll see you in a bit. Bye." she said and hung up the phone.

The young werecoyote dropped back into her seat with a groan. "I need to learn how to say no," she whined. Stiles walked out of the station, a look of annoyance on his face. He climbed into the driver's seat of his Jeep and closed the door forcefully. "You okay?"

He huffed out angrily and started the car. "He won't believe me, you know? No one will." Stiles said as he pulled out of the station's parking lot. Marlow knew Stiles was talking about Theo. She wanted to tell him that he was right and that she believed him but a part of her felt oddly trusting towards Theo.

She sighed, looking out the car window. "I get that you don't trust him. It is weird that he wants into the pack but so far he hasn't done anything that would suggest him being shady. He saved Scott from that weirdo wolf."

Stiles shook his head. "That means nothing. It could all be an act," he told his sister. Marlow didn't know what to tell Stiles. He was right, it could all be an act but she also didn't want to go through her life with the amount of distrust her brother seemed to feel every day.

"You might be right. Just wait and see. Something might happen. Or maybe nothing happens and Theo is just a new guy hoping to make friends." Marlow said. Stiles was quiet. Marlow looked at him. "Give him a chance. Not everyone is secretly out to kill us," she said. Stiles kept his eyes fixed on the road. Marlow sighed and threw her hands up in the air. "I don't know what to tell you, Stiles! I have my own problems!"

Now Stiles sighed in defeat and looked over at his sister for a second. "What is it?"

Marlow dropped back into her seat. "Mason."

She knew Stiles would understand. "Just tell him, Mar. He already saw dad blow up a Berserker with a damn land mine."

Marlow bit down on her knuckle. She knew he was right. She'd known all summer. Marlow finally nodded as they pulled into the school's parking lot. "You're right. I'm gonna tell him. Today."

* * *

Marlow walked up to the school. It was the first day of sophomore year and already things were starting to go down again. The pack still didn't know who that strange werewolf that attacked Scott was and it was still nagging at Marlow. The young werecoyote walked past Stiles and Malia as they discussed Theo.

Marlow could smell Malia's annoyance from a mile away. "Well, how many tickets do you have?" Malia asked Stiles.

"None," Stiles told her resolutely. Marlow rolled her eyes. Stiles was lucky to have a Sheriff for a dad more than he would like to believe. 

"How many would you have if your dad didn't get you out of them?"

Marlow walked past the two with a smirk. "Seventeen."

"Marlow!" Stiles yelled after her as she walked away from the two.

Marlow chuckled and walked through the main entrance of the building. She took the school in. This was the senior pack's last year of school and Marlow could feel an era come to a close even though it was still a year away. Marlow saw Scott and Kira standing hand-in-hand and waved at them. They waved back and then disappeared off to their lockers. Liam and Mason came walking down the hallway.

Mason held an open book in his hand and talked at Liam. Liam seemed to want to get away as fast as possible and Marlow dreaded having to lie to Mason again. She walked up to the two and gave Liam a quick kiss. "Hey."

"Hi." he greeted back with a smile.

"This is the one I was telling you about. I got it from a rare book dealer in Germany. Cost me two hundred bucks, but it was totally worth it." Mason chimed in, showing Marlow the book. She sighed.

"You're still reading about this stuff?" Liam asked with annoyance in his voice.

"I was attacked by an armor-plated giant wearing a bear skull. It left an impression." Mason reminded him. Mason pointed at a page in the book. On it was an illustration of a man that looked eerily similar to a Berserker. Marlow bit the inside of her cheek. "Look. Look. Have you ever seen anything like this?"

"Uh, no. Never." Liam told Mason.

The three walked into their history class. "And then there's this whole section about the Nagual. Have you ever heard of the name Tezcat..." Mason went on, trying to read the name on the page correctly.

"Tezcatlipoca," Liam said. There was a short silence as Marlow gave Liam a look. "No. No, never heard of him."

"Take your seats, everyone." Mr. Yukimura said.

Marlow sat down on the desk in front of Mason's.

She heard Liam groan out behind them. "Oh!" he said. "Great." he quickly added, looking over at the new girl. Marlow recognized her. It was Hayden, Deputy Clark's little sister. She too had been at the station once or twice over the summer to pick up her sister.

Liam looked around questioningly. "Liam. You're not gonna just stand there, are you?!" Mr. Yukimura asked.

"Maybe," Liam told him. Marlow narrowed her eyes at him. There had to have been a story between those two. She already didn't like the girl.

Mr. Yukimura gave Liam a look of slight annoyance. He wasn't up for shenanigans. Marlow looked back at Mason. His eyes widened and he threw his hands up to his chest defensively. Marlow rolled her eyes.

"The whole semester?" Mr. Yukimura asked.

"Maybe," Liam repeated.

A slight chuckle went through the class. "Liam, have a seat." Mr. Yukimura demanded.

Liam sighed and sat down. Suddenly he gave Hayden a look and she smirked at him. Marlow narrowed her eyes at the girl, grabbing on the edge of her desk tightly.

"All right, welcome to History 103." Mr. Yukimura said, snapping the girl out of her trance. Marlow turned around. She had never felt jealous over anyone in her life but Hayden was already a thorn in her eye.

* * *

Marlow walked to Liam's locker after class. He had sat in the gum and was changing his pants in the boy's locker room with Mason. Meanwhile, Marlow was debating on when to tell Mason about everything. As if on cue, Mason walked past her and after the soccer team. Marlow smirked at him. "You are so predictable," she told him lovingly.

He shrugged. "I guess so," he said unapologetically.

Marlow chuckled. "Have fun," she told him. He waved at her and walked off. Marlow shook her head and walked up to Liam. "All cleaned up?" she asked. He nodded as the locker next to his was shut.

They were met with Hayden and Marlow fought the urge to roll her eyes. It was fairly obvious that she had put the gum on Liam's chair and Marlow still wanted to know what their history was. "Nice shorts," Hayden told Liam with a smirk on her face.

"Yeah, thanks," Liam said. "You know, I was wondering if you were still pissed off about the sixth grade, but I guess you cleared that up."

Marlow narrowed her eyes at them. "I'm not pissed off, Liam," Hayden told Liam with a smile. She closed her locker and gave him a sudden angry look. "I'm vengeful," she said. She gave him one last look and walked away.

Marlow's eyes were still narrowed as she looked after Hayden. Liam looked back at her. "Don't worry about her, alright? I got it."

Marlow gave him a look. "What happened in sixth grade?" she asked him. Liam sighed and threw himself against his locker. Marlow leaned against another locker and put her hand on his shoulder. "That bad?"

Liam turned to her. "Kinda. There was a fight. Hayden accidentally walked into it, then walked away with a black eye."

Marlow was quiet for a second, then gave him a slight smile. "Well, that happened a while ago. It's not great but she's alive."

"Alive and mad as hell." Liam reminded Marlow.

Marlow smiled at Liam and pushed herself off the locker. "And she'll get over it one day. In the meantime, you have me. I won't let the bad girl get to you anymore." she assured him. Liam laughed slightly. Marlow lightly grabbed Liam's shoulder and turned him around to face her. "Just let her do her thing. She'll tire herself out at some point." Marlow told him.

Liam nodded. "You're right."

They shared a kiss. When they pulled apart, Marlow gave him a look. "And tonight, when you work out with Mason, we're finally telling him everything," she told him. He sighed but nodded. "It will be fine. Everything will be just fine."

* * *

Marlow stood outside the school's main entrance that same night. She was about to go in to join Mason and Liam in their work-out. Of course, she wasn't there to work out. She was there to finally get the secret off her chest, whether Liam wanted to or not. 

There was a cold chill in the air and Marlow rubbed her bare arms. Something felt off that night and she couldn't tell what it was. She shook her head. This would be the year everything was normal. Marlow had to get those thoughts out of her head. She pushed the heavy door open and walked inside.

The school was quiet. Marlow still wasn't sure if they ever hired a new night janitor after Peter killed the one that had worked at the school for years. But the school was still open so someone other than Mason and Liam had to be there. 

Regardless, Marlow always felt creeped out by the school at night so she picked up the pace and made her way to the gym. There, Mason was alone inside, already working out. Marlow pushed open the door and Mason looked up with a hopeful glint in his eye. His face quickly fell upon spotting Marlow standing in the doorway.

Marlow picked her hands up defensively. "Woah, I've never gotten such a disappointed look from anyone. Not even my dad."

Mason shook his head and laughed slightly. "Sorry. I thought you were Liam," he said. He put down the weights he was holding and sat down on one of the benches with a sigh. "He said we'd work out together and I've been waiting for him for like two hours."

Marlow narrowed her eyes. She knew Liam had taken off with Stiles after school and assumed it was about Theo but she thought they'd be back by now. Maybe he was scared and trying to prolong what had to be done.

Marlow pulled her phone out of her pocket and shot Liam a quick text message. "I don't know where he's at either," she told Mason. She looked up at him with a hopeful smile. "But I'm sure he'll be here soon."

Mason smiled at her but Marlow knew he was disappointed. As far as she had heard, Liam had blown Mason off quite a lot over the summer and Marlow couldn't blame him for being angry at Liam. Marlow couldn't watch Mason be sad anymore.

She clapped her hands to lift the mood and walked up to one of the machines. "Are we gonna work out or not?" she asked. Mason gave her a confused look. Marlow sat down on something she could only hope was working out one's arms. "What?"

"Since when do you work out?"

Marlow shrugged. "Might as well start," she said. "You know, get those guns you guys have," she added, flexing her non-existent muscles with an overdramatic growl. Mason laughed out loud and Marlow hooked her arms underneath the machine in a way that couldn't have been right.

Mason got off the other machine. "Oh no," he said. He lightly pulled her arms back out. "First of all, you're not wearing the right clothes to work out," he told her. Marlow looked down on herself. She was wearing a blouse and jeans so she couldn't argue with him there. "Second, that's not how you use that machine at all. You're about to dislocate your shoulders," he added. Marlow nodded. "And finally, you clearly did not come here to work out. So what's up?" he asked.

Marlow sighed. She wanted to do this with Liam but if he did chicken out she'd just have to do it on her own. Marlow rubbed her hands together. "Well, Mason," she started. "You know how you've been looking into all of that supernatural stuff?"

Mason nodded. "Of course."

She sighed. "Yeah, well, I have something that I would like to tell you." she went on, drawing out her words. Her heart was beginning to race. 

"Uhm, can we keep this conversation going in the locker room? I need to change and get home. Curfew's closing in." Mason chimed in. Marlow nodded. She got off the machine and followed Mason out of the gym.

"Uhm, well, so, there was this thing that happened," Marlow went on as they walked to the boy's locker room.

"A thing?" Mason asked her. They had been best friends since kindergarten and he knew when she was nervous. And she definitely was nervous. Marlow followed Mason, not even looking up to see where she was walking. She tried putting the words together in her head but it was hard to do. They arrived at the locker room and Mason opened the door. "I'll be out in a few."

Marlow nodded. She let out a relieved sigh as he closed the door. She thought about how to best start the explanation without losing Mason in the process. Marlow paced up and down the hallway, rubbing her hands nervously. She hummed to herself, getting angrier and angrier at Liam ditching her for this.

Mason walked out of the locker room a few minutes later and the two began walking towards the exit. "So, what happened? Is it bad? Do I need to hurt someone?" Mason asked Marlow. 

She lightly chuckled despite wanting to sink into the floor right that second. "No. It happened a while back. But it changed me." she went on, trying not to draw out her words.

"In a bad way?" Mason asked as he pushed open the doors to the building.

Marlow waved him off. "No. Well...maybe," she said. She stopped in her tracks. "It's hard to say," she added, then caught up with him. Marlow looked up and saw that Liam was running up to the two.

She let out a relieved sigh. "Hey. Hey. Sorry, I'm late." he breathed out. Marlow had no idea where he came from but something must have happened. 

"Oh, no, you're not late. You missed it. I worked out. For two hours." Mason said accusingly. Marlow gave Liam a look.

He was just as nervous as her. "Yeah, I know. I forgot," he told Mason. Mason shook his head and Marlow wanted to know what Liam and Stiles had done to Theo. "And I'm gonna tell you why. Actually, I'm gonna tell you a lot of things." Liam went on. Marlow took a deep breath. Liam was taking over and she hoped Mason wouldn't run off on them. "A lot of hard to believe things. Really hard to believe."

Mason's gaze wandered past Liam. Marlow followed his. Her eyes widened as she saw a black wolf standing behind Liam. "There's a wolf." Mason chime in.

Liam hadn't noticed the animal's presence. "Yeah, I'm getting to that."

"No. There's a wolf right behind you." Mason told Liam. Liam turned back as the wolf walked up to the trio. 

"That's a wolf." Liam finally said. 

"Yep." Marlow nodded. 

The wolf snarled and the three best friends ran. The wolf followed them inside the building and Marlow wanted nothing more than to scare it off. She followed Mason up the stairs and suddenly heard a roar behind her. Marlow and Mason stopped dead in their tracks and turned around.

The wolf ran off. Mason walked past Marlow and down to Liam. Liam turned back to Mason with a sorrowful expression on his face. Marlow walked down the stairs, bracing for what was to come next. "There's something I gotta tell you," Liam said.

The hairs on Marlow's arm stood up as she waited for Mason's response. To her surprise, he started to grin. "You're a werewolf," he said happily.

Marlow gave him a wide-eyed look. She didn't know how she'd expected her best friend to react to the news but this was surprising to her.

"Yeah," Liam told him.

Mason let out an excited yelp. "You are a werewolf," he repeated.

"Uhu." Liam nodded.

"That's awesome!" Mason yelled. Liam was still in shock and Marlow smiled at Mason. He turned back to his best friend. "You knew about this?" he asked slightly accusatory.

Marlow looked at Liam. He gave her a reassuring nod. "Actually," Marlow said, closing her eyes. She sighed and opened them to reveal them now glowing an icy blue color.

Mason took a step back and Marlow's heart dropped. "So what are you?" Mason asked.

"Werecoyote," Marlow told him, her voice growing quieter.

Mason started smiling again and Marlow gave him a questioning look. "Cool." he finally said.

"You're taking this well," Liam noted.

"Yeah, I mean. It's just. It's so cool." Mason repeated.

"Not always. And just because we told you doesn't mean you can always be there when we do supernatural things with the others." Marlow told Mason.

Yes, she told him the truth but that was only to have it out of the way. It was great that Mason was excited about the whole thing and not freaking out but that didn't mean he would get to be in the center of things with the pack. It was too dangerous. "The others?" Mason asked and looked at Marlow and Liam. "There are more?"

Marlow nodded. "Yes. Our pack. And others."

"Like Lydia?" Mason asked.

"Yes, like Lydia. She's a Banshee. Then there's Scott. He's also a werewolf. Malia is a werecoyote too. Kira is a Kitsune." Marlow explained.

Mason took it all in with wide eyes. "And Stiles?" Mason asked.

"Human." Marlow quickly told Mason. "An ordinarily annoying human."

"And when did you guys turn?" Mason asked.

"Last year. Scott had to bite me to save my life." Liam told Mason.

Mason nodded and looked over at Marlow. "I was ten. It happened on our camping trip." Marlow told him after a beat of silence.

Mason's eyes grew wider. "Seriously?" he asked. Marlow nodded. She knew it would be a long night of explanations already. The three of them heard a howl in the distance and a shiver ran down Marlow's spine as she thought about the wolf. "Was that one of your friends?"

Marlow looked past him. "I have no idea who that was."


	4. investigations

Marlow fastened the tie around her father's neck. She wiped the non-existent dust off his shoulders and took a step back. Noah gave her a questioning look. Marlow narrowed her eyes as she looked him up and down. Finally, she smiled at him victoriously. "Yeah, this is perfect," she said.

Noah squirmed uncomfortably. Marlow sighed. She knew her dad was nervous to go on the first date he would be attending since her mother's passing, but she wanted him to do it. She knew he wanted to as well, but the constant state of danger the town and his kids were in prevented him from being able to fully let go and have fun.

He started running a hand through his hair nervously, ruining Marlow's previous work. She groaned out in annoyance. "Oh, I should've got a haircut," Noah complained. 

Marlow swatted his hands away from his hair. "You messed it up!" she told him. She, too, was getting nervous now and Stiles was no help. 

He stepped up next to Marlow, that annoying look of mischief on his face. "Well, you know someone your age should be happy you still have hair to cut."

Marlow rolled her eyes so hard, she was afraid they were gonna get stuck in the back of her head. She pushed her brother away. "I think you look great," Scott said behind the squabbling duo.

"Well, thank you, son, I should have had," Noah said with a smile. Stiles gave his father a hurt look and Marlow shook her head. Noah started undoing his tie with a groan. Marlow nearly screamed. "Oh, what the hell am I doing? This is a terrible idea."

Marlow swatted his hands away from his tie. "Stop it!"

"Dad, it's one date, okay?" Stiles chimed in. He grabbed his father by the shoulders. "The town of Beacon Hills won't implode while you're out with one woman." he went on. "Or man," he added sneakily. 

Marlow fastened her dad's tie once more. She couldn't exactly say that she hadn't been curious about who her dad was taking out either. "It's a woman, Stiles," Noah said.

"Okay," Stiles said with a goofy grin on his face. 

"A very beautiful woman," Noah added. 

"What beautiful woman, by the way?" Stiles asked. 

Marlow's brows perked up as she gave her dad a questioning look. Noah looked at his kids with a grin. "None of your businesses."

Marlow smirked. Her dad was a grown man, it was his prerogative to keep secrets. She'd find out who the woman was sooner than later if the date went well. Stiles, on the other hand, didn't look too pleased. "I want to know," he complained. 

Marlow shook her head. She began fixing her dad's jacket once more when suddenly yelling cut through the station. She'd recognize that yelling anywhere at this point.

"Stilinski! Stilinski!" Donovan yelled. Marlow rolled her eyes. She followed her dad, brother, and Scott out of the office and looked on as Donovan struggled in Deputy Parrish and Clark's grips. "I'm going to kill you." Donovan threatened. Marlow sighed. He had made that promise several times that summer.

"Donovan, if you think that shocks me, remember it was well-documented in your Anger Expression Inventory," Noah told the kid. "Deputies, escort the prisoner out," he added. Parrish and Clark attempted to guide Donovan out. He pulled back once more. Marlow dug her nails into her palms. She would step in if forced to.

"I'm not angry like I'm gonna throw a brick through your window." Donovan said "I'm angry like I'm going to find you, I'm going to get a knife and I'm going to stab you with it until you're dead. And when you look at me and you ask me why - remember right now. Because this is why."

Marlow growled under her breath. Scott put his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down. There was a stunned silence in the room. No one knew what to say. It was a clear threat. And not a flimsy one like the ones Marlow had heard all summer long. 

Finally, it was Stiles who shifted next to Marlow. "Wow, that was awesome," he said. Now she wanted to hold him back, even though she understood his anger. "That was awesome. That was great. We do one more? Give us another one, maybe like Christopher Walken this time, you know." he went on. Once again no one answered. Marlow wanted to speak up and tell Stiles to pipe down, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

"Okay, you know what? It's fine. You'll have plenty of time to work on it when you're in your tiny, little cell, you know. Just stuck there, forever." Stiles concluded. Noah turned back to his son, hoping he would shut up.

Marlow lightly pinched her brother's arm. "Stop," she told him firmly.

Stiles threw his hands up defensively. "I'm done."

Donovan tried to jump at Stiles. Parrish and Clark held on to him tight. Scott shoved past Marlow to step in but Noah gently put up his arm to stop him. "Get him out of here!" Noah demanded. Parrish and Clark pushed Donovan out of the door, his attorney followed suit.

"What's the hell's an Anger Expression Inventory?" Scott finally asked. 

"It's a test you take when you're applying to become a deputy," Stiles explained to his best friend. 

"That guy wanted to be a cop?" Scott asked, a look of shock plastered on his face. 

Stiles nodded. "At least now he's getting the full law enforcement experience."

Marlow turned to her brother and punched him in the shoulder. Stiles scrunched up his face in pain. "Why?!"

Marlow gave her brother an angry look. She knew he was bold, sometimes too bold for his own good. She pointed at the door as she looked at Stiles. "What was that?" she asked, fuming. Stiles gave her a questioning look. "That dick nearly ripped off your head! Remember, you won't always have Scott to look out for you. One of these days you're affinity to piss everyone around you off is going to get you killed!"

Noah stepped in, lightly pushing the two apart. "Okay, okay. That's enough," he told them calmly. He gave Marlow a look. She raised her hands in a depleted manner. He knew she was right. "Marlow, you're right. But you two shouldn't fight. Remember to always look out for one another."

Marlow sighed but nodded slightly. "Sorry," she told Stiles.

He bit his lip and pulled her into a hug. "Me too."

The two pulled apart and Marlow looked at her father. "Okay, I think you look perfect just like this. Jane Doe won't know what hit her," she said. She put her hands on his back and lightly pushed him towards the door. Stiles rushed up and handed his dad his keys and wallet. "Now, go and have fun, and don't worry about us."

She let go of her dad's back as they arrived at the door. She backed up. Noah looked back at the trio. Marlow made a shooing motion with her hand and Noah smiled at them. "Thanks," he said. Marlow nodded at him with a smile on her face. Noah walked out of the station and Marlow sighed as the night was finally over.

* * *

Marlow awoke to the sound of her ringing phone. Her eyes tried adjusting to the dark. She blinked a couple of times before grabbing her phone with a grunt. It was only midnight. Her dad's name was displayed on the phone. She had no idea what he could have wanted from her at this time and why he wasn't home yet. She tapped on the screen and put the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" Marlow asked groggily. She sat up properly on her bed, rubbing her forehead.

"Marlow, I need you to listen carefully," Noah said nervously. 

Marlow's senses heightened. She was tired but she would recognize her father's tone of voice any day. She pulled the blanket off herself and sat on the edge of the bed. "What happened?"

"It's Donovan. He escaped from his transfer. Right now we have to assume he injured the van drivers and killed his attorney." Noah explained. Marlow's breath hitched. She had witnessed Donovan's temper tantrums all summer but never did she think he would actually act on his threats.

She got off her bed. "Do you need my help?"

"No. Scott's already doing that. I need you to stay at home. Make sure everything's locked and keep your eyes out for Donovan."

Marlow sighed. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow. Stay safe."

"You too," Noah said. Marlow hung up the phone and walked out of her room. There was a fifty/fifty chance Donovan would be dumb enough to attempt hurting the Sheriff and his family instead of skipping town. 

Marlow checked every window and door in the house. Once everything was locked tightly, she grabbed a blanket from the closet and draped it around herself. She sat down on the couch in the living room and kept her eyes fixed on the doorway until she fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning Marlow stood next to Mason. Her best attempts at keeping him away from the emergency meeting Scott had called in were futile as he followed her there despite all of her arguments. Marlow knew her best friend was excited. All of this was still interesting to him. He hadn't felt the losses the rest of the pack had, hadn't been involved in a real fight yet.

Marlow had been filled in on everything that had happened after she fell asleep. Scott found Donovan rather quickly, but he was unresponsive. The only thing he said was a name. "Tracy wasn't just having trouble sleeping. It was a real disorder. It was night terrors." Lydia spoke up. Marlow was ripped out of her thoughts.

"Well, now she's the night terror. Especially since no one can find her." Stiles chimed in. Marlow crossed her arms in front of her chest. That was the other problem. Apparently, Tracy was another senior. She injured the transport drivers and killed the attorney, her father. She murdered her own father. It was unfathomable to Marlow.

"Okay, I know we're all tired and miserable..." Scott spoke up, his eyes wandering over to Mason. The younger boy still had a gleam in his eyes. "Except for you," Scott added. Mason looked around the pack, his mouth slightly agape. Marlow sighed.

"Oh. I'm sorry," he told Scott. He turned his head back to the others, still leaning on the hood of Stiles' jeep. "This is all just mind-blowing," he said defensively. Marlow wanted to make him stop, but how could she possibly do that when she was just as curious as she was back in the day? "You're a Kitsune," Mason said, turning to Kira. The girl looked at him. Marlow knew she was humoring him. "I don't even know what that is."

Kira nodded. "I'm still learning."

Marlow put her hand on Mason's shoulder. He turned back to her with a questioning look on her face. "Tone it down," she whispered to him. Mason nodded at her.

"Marlow, Liam, we said you could tell him. Not invite him to the inner circle." Stiles told them, a hint of annoyance in his voice. Marlow raised her arms defensively. For years Stiles and Scott had insisted she could tell Mason everything. What did they expect would happen once he found out?

"Uh, I'm in the inner circle?" Mason asked. Marlow sighed. 

"No." Stiles and Liam insisted simultaneously. 

"Just stop it, all of you!" Marlow yelled out. Stiles and Liam stepped down and Mason gave her a reassuring look.

"Guys, look, back to Tracy. She's just one lone wolf. We can find her." Scott chimed in, to shush everyone. He had a point but something still didn't sit right with Marlow. What would possess Tracy to kill her father? And why that specific night?

"One lone serial-killing wolf," Malia said.

"Uh, she only killed one person, you know." Stiles reminded her. "The other two were mauled," he added. Mason gave him a surprised look and Marlow couldn't help but want to be like that again. So innocent and not expecting the worst. "All right, what do we do when we catch her?"

"I say we put her down," Malia stated bluntly. Marlow looked at her, eyes wide. Though she shouldn't have expected anything less from Malia. With her, it was, kill first ask questions later. There was a beat of silence. 

"Intense." Mason finally stated with a nod. Marlow looked back at the others. Clearly, they weren't on board with this idea either.

"Guys, let's concentrate on catching her first." Scott chimed in once more. "We'll figure out the rest later," he added. The group said nothing. No one knew if Malia's suggestion should be taken into account. Though, if worse came to worse, they might have to kill Tracy.

* * *

Marlow stared at Tracy as she was sitting in her History class. Liam had already taken off to warn Scott. Marlow had no idea what to do. She couldn't take Tracy on without everyone seeing. She could practically feel the girl's rage. Tracy was still barefoot and clinging onto the desk she sat at. Marlow feared that touching her in any way would set the girl off. She seemed unresponsive.

Marlow noticed Hayden staring at Tracy. This is what she had feared. If Hayden noticed, other people would start to notice. "Hey. Are you all right?" Hayden asked her. Hayden looked over at Marlow. She had caught her staring.

"She's fine," Marlow assured Hayden.

Hayden looked at Marlow as if the young werecoyote was insane. "She doesn't look fine," Hayden said sharply. Tracy increased the pressure on the desk until it broke. Marlow lightly jumped in her seat. "Are you even supposed to be in this class?" Hayden asked Tracy. Tracy's breath came out in ragged heaps. Suddenly, the fire alarm rang. Everyone in the classroom got out of their seats and started filing out the doors.

"No rushing, please. I'm sure it's just a drill." Mr. Yukimura chided. Hayden got out of her seat. So did Marlow. She wanted to get the other girl out of the classroom as fast as possible. 

But Hayden stood still, looking down at a still-seated Tracy. "Hey, we need to go," Hayden told her. Marlow held her breath. She didn't know how long Tracy would remain quiet and non-violent. Hayden gave Tracy a concerned look. "Are you all right?"

Marlow saw Scott and Liam walk into the classroom. They stood in the front with Mr. Yukimura. She gave them a questioning look. Scott motioned for the young werecoyote to stay calm. Tracy grabbed Hayden's arm as the girl tried to walk away. Marlow saw her claws digging into Hayden's arm as the girl started to bleed. Marlow pushed past her desk and grabbed onto Tracy, trying to pull the girl off of Hayden.

Scott slowly approached the trio. Tracy shook Marlow's hands off her. "Tracy. Tracy." Scott said, trying to talk to the girl. Though she didn't even seem to be with the group mentally. "Tracy. Tracy, let go. Tracy."

Tracy only seemed to bury her claws harder into Hayden's arm. The other girl squirmed in the werewolf's grip. "Hey, you're hurting me," Hayden complained, a pained expression on her face. Tracy got out of her seat, still clinging on to Hayden.

"Tracy, let her go," Scott demanded once more.

Finally, Tracy dropped her arm and released Hayden. "They're coming for all of us." Tracy decreed before dropping to the floor. A silvery substance started oozing out of her mouth and Marlow felt her heart drop. Something had clearly been happening right under their noses. Scott and Mr. Yukimura charged forward, grabbing Tracy and carrying her out of the classroom.

Marlow, Liam, and Hayden followed them out. Stiles and Malia had already arrived at the scene and disappeared out of the building with Scott, Mr. Yukimura, and Tracy. "She wasn't even supposed to be in our class," Hayden spoke up. Marlow tried thinking up an excuse. Anything to get Hayden off their trail. "Where are they taking her?" Hayden asked.

Marlow and Liam looked at each other. "Uh..." Liam said, looking on as Malia and Stiles rushed off. Liam turned back to Hayden. "The hospital, I guess," he told her. Marlow stood behind Hayden, giving Liam a questioning look. Liam looked at Hayden, concern in his eyes. "Do you need help getting to the Nurse's Office?" he asked. Marlow knew Liam was just being friendly and that he still wanted to make up for what happened between them. That didn't mean she didn't like the vibe she was getting off of them though.

"I think I'll make it," Hayden said. She walked off. 

Marlow looked at Liam as he looked after Hayden. "Hey," she said, snapping him out of his thoughts. He turned around to face her. "We need to go find Lydia and Kira. Maybe they've found out more than we know," she told him. Liam nodded and the two walked off to meet up with the girls.

They didn't have to look long. It seemed as though Lydia and Kira had already been on their way to them. "They're taking her to the animal clinic?" Kira asked hurriedly.

"Yeah, to see if Deaton can figure out what's wrong with her," Liam told her.

"What's wrong with her is that she killed two people." Lydia chimed in. Marlow looked at her in shock. "Her father and, according to Parrish, her psychiatrist." she elaborated. Marlow sighed. What was Tracy's game? She put a hand up to her forehead.

"Isn't there anyone else we can talk to? Does she still have her mom? Any family?" Kira asked, looking at her friends as if they would know. Then it hit Marlow. Tracy might not have any family left but there had to be someone else. Apparently, Lydia had the same thought, since she nodded at Marlow as if she could hear her thoughts.

"Alpha," Lydia said. Liam and Kira looked at her. "If she's a werewolf, she has an Alpha, right?" Lydia asked. Kira nodded. The wheels in her head were spinning. "Anyone know if a new one's moved into Beacon Hills?" Lydia asked. Marlow shook her head. It seemed unlikely that a new Alpha would have moved to Beacon Hills without any of them knowing.

"No, but there's an old one," Kira spoke up. She looked at her friends as they caught on to what she meant. "One of the oldest. We know her." Kira reminded them.

Marlow looked over at Liam. She knew he was already dreading what they would have to do next. "And her pack," he said with a pained expression on his face.

Marlow reassuringly squeezed his shoulder, then pulled her phone out of her pocket. "Who are you calling?" Liam asked.

Marlow sighed. "Mason."

"Why?" Liam asked. Marlow looked up at Liam.

"Because he would kill me if he found out we talked to Brett and didn't take him along," she answered matter-of-factly. Liam nodded and Marlow called Mason.

* * *

Marlow, Liam, and Mason walked onto the Lacrosse field. Brett was practicing with some of his friends. Marlow looked over at Liam and could see the disdain in his eyes. Clearly, there was still a rivalry between the two. "So, he's a werewolf too?" Mason asked excitedly. It was like watching a kid at the toy store. 

"Yup," Liam admitted begrudgingly. 

Mason smirked. "This just gets better and better."

Marlow held up a finger. "Alright, alright, that's enough. We have more important things to worry about than your love life right now." she chided. "Like the serial killing werewolf at the animal clinic," she added. Mason raised his hands defensively. Marlow put two fingers between her lips and whistled.

Brett looked over at the trio and ran up to them. "What's up?"

"Hey, handsome, take a look at this," Marlow said. Liam gave her a look, then showed Brett the school picture of Tracy on his phone.

Brett inspected the picture. He smirked. "Cute. But never seen her," he told them. Marlow sighed.

Liam dropped his hand. "Could Satomi have turned her without you knowing?" Liam asked.

Brett began packing his bag. "After the dead pool, Satomi's not exactly doing much recruiting," he told Liam. Marlow bit down on her knuckle. Tracy had to have an Alpha. She didn't just turn into a werewolf overnight.

"That's how it works?" Mason asked. "Alpha werewolves just go around biting people?" he added. Marlow and Liam had explained as much as they could to him. But there were only so many hours of the day and Mason had asked many questions.

"Or you can be born, like me and my sister," Brett told Mason. "Satomi took us in after our family died in a fire," he explained. There was a beat of silence until Liam spoke up once more.

"Guys, I think I just found something," he said, zooming in on Tracy's picture.

Marlow looked at it. "What is it?" she asked. Liam pointed at the necklace around Tracy's neck. "That necklace," he said. "I saw it when I fell in a hole the night Stiles and I spied on Theo."

Marlow narrowed her eyes. Had Tracy been buried alive? Why would her necklace be in a sinkhole? "What the hell is going, you guys?"

Liam looked at her. "I don't know. But we should go find out."

Mason beamed at them. "Can I come?" he asked excitedly. 

Marlow sighed. "Yes. But stay at our side."

Mason nodded. "Absolutely," he assured her. 

Marlow looked up at Brett. "You, put on a damn shirt," she demanded. Brett looked at her questioningly. "You're coming with us," she told him with a smirk. They needed as many people as they could get to look for this necklace.

* * *

Marlow, Liam, Mason, and Brett trotted through the woods. It had turned dark already as Liam attempted to find the hole he fell into. Marlow wasn't sure if this mission made much sense. If Liam fell into a hole somewhere in the dark woods, the prospect of finding it again seemed unlikely.

"Sure you know where you're going?" Brett asked, a twinge of annoyance in his voice. Marlow felt for him. She was getting frustrated too. None of it made any sense.

"I know where I am," Liam assured him.

"So do I," Brett said as they came to a halt. He gestured around the area. "In the middle of nowhere."

Marlow heard a yelp behind her, then a thud. She turned, eyes wide open. Mason was gone from her point of view. "Guys?" she heard him ask. Marlow let out a relieved sigh and walked over to where his voice came from. Mason stood in a hole, rubbing the back of his head.

"Are you okay?" Marlow asked worriedly. 

Mason nodded. Liam and Brett walked up behind Marlow. "I think I found it," he stated. Marlow looked down. 

"See the necklace?" Liam asked. Mason pulled out his phone, turning on his flashlight as he looked around. He moved the leaves then looked back at his friends. "No, I don't see it," he told them. Marlow sighed. Brett helped Mason out of the hole. Marlow dusted the dirt off his jacket.

Mason kneeled and inspected the ground. "Liam, I thought you said this was a sinkhole," he said. Marlow, Liam, and Brett kneeled next to Mason.

"It's a hole. What's the difference?" Liam asked.

"I mean, look at all these handprints and look at all this dirt," Mason told his best friend.

"She didn't fall in here," Brett said. Marlow's mind was going to all kinds of places. 

"She was buried," Liam stated. But who would bury a girl in the woods? And why? 

"Intense," Mason said under his breath. Liam jumped into the hole, shining the flashlight of his phone around. He kneeled and dug through the leaves.

"Why isn't it here?" Liam asked.

"She probably came back for it," Brett suggested.

Marlow scrunched up her nose. "She came back here for a necklace during her murderous rampage?" Marlow asked. It seemed unlikely. Brett shrugged.

Liam jumped out of the hole. "I don't think this is the one," he said. Marlow narrowed her eyes.

"What do you mean?" Mason asked confusedly.

"It was closer to the bridge. Much closer." Liam explained. "This is a different hole," he stated determinately. Marlow looked around the woods. Suddenly a chill ran down her spine.

"Then who crawled out of this one?" Mason asked.

Marlow looked back and forth between the dark woods and the whole. "I have a feeling we're gonna find out soon enough," she said. Her phone vibrated in her pocket. Marlow stared at the message on her screen in shock. "Oh, my God," she said under her breath.

"What?" Liam asked.

Marlow looked at the boys. "We gotta go right now," she told them worriedly.

"What's wrong, Mar?" Mason asked, lightly grabbing onto Marlow to calm her down.

"We have to get to the Sheriff's station. Lydia's been hurt."


	5. a night out

Marlow burst through the station doors. She had parted ways with Mason and Brett and made Liam wait in her car. Marlow was just too upset to take him along as well. Inside, a scene of horror awaited her. There was a trail of blood leading to her father's office. A cut-off Kanima tail lay on the floor. Her dad and Deputy Clark could barely stand. "What happened?" Marlow choked out.

Noah looked up at her. "It was Tracy."

Marlow gave her dad a concerned look. She rushed to his side. "Are you okay?"

Noah nodded. "I'm fine. It was the Kanima venom." 

Marlow's thoughts began to race. What Kanima venom? And why was there a discarded Kanima tail on the floor? "Who's blood is this?" Marlow asked, pointing at the floor.

Noah looked towards his office. "Lydia."

Marlow's eyes widened. "Are you okay to stand?" she asked Noah. Her dad nodded and Marlow ran into the office. Her breath hitched as she saw Lydia on the floor. Kira and Ms. Martin kneeled next to her, horrified looks displayed on their faces. Theo was in between them, tightening his belt across her abdomen. Marlow couldn't move. She had no idea what was going on and the heaviness of the situation was starting to weigh on her.

Theo looked up at her. "Don't worry, Marlow. She's going to be fine," he assured her. But Marlow couldn't hear him. The blood pounded in her ears. Breathing became harder. Her heart started pounding, so hard Marlow was scared it would burst out of her chest. She clutched her chest.

"Marlow?" Kira asked. Marlow could hear her voice faintly. But she couldn't stay in this room. Lydia's pained face only made her condition worse. She had to get out. "Marlow, are you okay?"

Marlow shook her head. She had to leave. Tears started rolling down her cheeks. "I..." she choked out. She shook her head once more and turned to walk out of the room.

"I think she's having a panic attack." she heard Theo say. Marlow stumbled out of the room and fell to her knees. She felt a sticky substance on her hands and saw that it was Lydia's blood as she raised her hand. Breathing became damn near impossible.

She started crying harder. Nothing about this situation made sense. Lydia might die in the same office Marlow had spent half her childhood. "Marlow!" she heard someone yell once more. She couldn't tell who the voice belonged to. Her mind was too far gone at that point. She had to get out of the station. She needed air. As she tried to get up, Stiles came into her point of view. He raised his hands in a calming motion.

Both siblings were all too familiar with panic attacks, though Marlow hadn't had one in years. Marlow cried harder as she walked towards the door. She swatted Stiles' hands away. She wanted to scream so badly but it was as if there was no air left in her lungs. She could feel Stiles follow her. Marlow pushed open the doors to the station and stumbled outside. She didn't know what to do. She could hear the ambulance sirens coming closer and collapsed to the floor once again.

* * *

When Marlow opened her eyes everything around her looked light and clinical. She rubbed her forehead with a groan. Her throat still felt scratchy. She turned her head to see several injured people around her. Noah let out a relieved breath. "Hey there," he said with a light smile. 

It looked forced like he was trying not to freak out. "What happened?" Marlow asked. Her eyes tried adjusting to the fluorescent lights. Noah grabbed her hand, giving it a light squeeze.

"You had a panic attack. You passed out. We're in the ER." he explained. Marlow sat up. "Careful," Noah warned. He put a supportive hand on her back.

"What about Lydia?" Marlow asked. Her head was pounding. 

"Lydia will be fine. She's in surgery right now." Noah assured his daughter.

Marlow sat at the edge of the gurney. "And Tracy?"

There was a beat of silence before Noah sighed. "She's dead. Malia says some masked assailants killed her but when we arrived she was the only one there."

Marlow narrowed her eyes. "You don't think she did it, do you?" she asked. Her voice rose as she got angry. "Malia wouldn't. And if she did, she wouldn't make up lies afterward!" she yelled. People around her started to stare.

Noah raised his hand in a calming motion. "You need to stay calm. I'm not saying Malia did anything," he assured her. 

Marlow sighed. She let her forehead drop in her palms. "I am so tired."

Noah nodded. "I know," he said. He helped her off the gurney. "Doctor Geyer says you can leave as soon as they discharge you. I want you to stay home tomorrow. No supernatural investigations with Liam and Mason," he told her. Marlow nodded but her dad gave her a look. He knew she could just sneak out of the house as soon as he was at work, she had done it all summer. "I'm serious."

Marlow looked at him. "I know. I will stay at home. Promise."

* * *

Marlow sat at her desk the next day. She had slept in. Things seemed to have been under control for now. At least somewhat. Tracy was gone but according to Scott, she was something he called a "Chimera". A mix of a werewolf and Kanima. Marlow tried wrapping her head around that bit of information but she still couldn't understand it. Truth be told, she didn't want to see any of her friends.

She was embarrassed enough about being so useless while Lydia was dying right in front of her. She knew they didn't hold it against her, but she still couldn't help but feel horrible. Lydia, of course, had made it out alive but Tracy hadn't. And Donovan had somehow fled from the holding cell. 

Marlow had been texting with Liam all day. He was concerned and wanted to come over but she needed alone time. She was still questioning whether or not they would work out anyway.

Liam seemed to have found a new liking to Hayden and Marlow didn't know what to do about it. She was sure Liam would never hurt her but she also didn't know what he would do if presented with the option of getting together with Hayden.

And every time her mind went to those kinds of thoughts she felt even worse. Worse, because she knew she wasn't giving Liam enough credit and also because there were more pressing matters at hand. She had to shake off her suspicions.

Not only had her dad forbidden her from going to school but Stiles and Scott also insisted she stay home and get better before jumping back into action. But Marlow didn't like sitting down and waiting. Even though she was scared out of her mind, she had to do something to help. School would be over soon and Marlow was getting antsy to go out and check in with her friends.

She stared at her phone intently, almost as if she was trying to will it to ring. "Come on, come on, come on," she said sharply. She hit her desk with her fist and leaned back in her seat with an annoyed groan. Marlow had never liked being treated like a child. Especially not when Liam and Mason were allowed to jump into action anytime while she was made to sit on the sidelines and watch.

Finally, her phone started ringing. Marlow's eyes widened in delight and she snatched her phone from her desk. It was Mason. She quickly tapped on the screen and put the phone up to her ear. "What is it?!" she asked, skipping the greetings. 

"Hello to you too, Mar," Mason said on the other end. 

Marlow shook her head and hit her hand against her forehead. "Yeah, hey." she quickly greeted. "So, what's up?" she asked again when Mason didn't say anything.

"What's up is me calling to ask how you were doing."

Marlow let out an embarrassed sigh. "Sorry," she said, closing her eyes. "Thank you for asking, Mase. I'm doing just fine," she assured him. She started playing with a pen that lay on her desk. "I'm just going insane in my room," she added. Mason sighed on the other hand. Marlow knew immediately that there was another reason for his call. She leaned forward in her chair. "What is it?"

There was a beat of silence and then Mason sighed once more. "Liam and I are going to a party at Sinema tonight and I wanted to ask you to come. But that was before I found out about your panic attack. Now I just want you to rest."

Marlow jumped off her chair and put Mason on speakerphone. She pulled her shirt and bra off so fast she could have sworn one of the straps ripped. "I will be there!" she said. She balanced on one leg as she tried pulling off her joggers.

"Marlow, I don't think that's the best idea. You should rest," Mason told her.

Marlow dropped onto her bed and pulled the joggers off. "I can rest when I'm dead. I just want to do something. So you can bet your ass I'm gonna be there."

"Well, I already convinced Hayden to let me in. I'm sure she'll let you in too." Mason told her.

Marlow halted. "Hayden will be there?" she asked. She had just managed to shake off those thoughts and now they were back.

"Hayden works there, Marlow," Mason said as if sensing her dread over the phone.

"I know you think I'm crazy. But I'm telling you, something is going on between those two." Marlow told him as she took off her underwear.

She could hear Mason let out a sigh. "I seriously doubt Hayden even likes Liam, let alone has a thing for him."

Marlow let out an annoyed groan. "Mason, you clearly have no idea how to read people. Liam's entire posture changes when he's around Hayden. He doesn't even do that for me anymore."

Marlow picked up the phone and took Mason off the speakerphone. She put the phone to her ear and walked into the bathroom. She pulled a towel out of the closet and tucked the phone between her ear and shoulder as she turned on the shower to let the water warm up.

"You don't seriously think Liam has a thing for Hayden, do you?" Mason asked her.

Marlow sighed. "I don't know. What I do know is that even though we've been dating for a few months, we didn't see each other for half of that time thanks to my grounding," she said. "And another thing I know is that Liam keeps looking at Hayden a certain way. I'm not stupid. I've been observing people's behavior since I was a child. I know when someone is pulling away from me. And Liam is. He isn't even paying attention to me anymore. Not that much, at least."

There was another beat of silence on the other hand as Mason let that information sink in. "So, what are you gonna do?"

Marlow sat leaned against the bathroom sink with a sigh. "I'm gonna dress up real nice, come to the club later and hope that Liam will notice me. And if he doesn't, I might have to talk to him," she said determinately.

"You're not gonna break up with him, are you?"

Marlow was silent for a few seconds as she thought about it. She couldn't do that do Liam based solely on a hunch. It would be cruel and there were other steps to take before going that route. "No."

"Okay," Mason said. His tone was dripping skepticism and Marlow wondered who's side Mason would take if she were to break up with Liam. "Just know that, if it does go south with the two of you, I'll be there for you."

Marlow smiled. "Thanks. When should I meet you guys?"

"Uh, at about eight," Mason answered.

Marlow looked at the time. It was four so there was more than enough time to get ready and leave the house before her dad would come home. "Okay, see you then."

"See you," Mason said.

Marlow hung up the phone and walked back into her room. She tossed her phone onto her bed and walked back into the bathroom. She climbed into the shower and let the hot water run over her aching body. The last few days had been hard. Fighting, crying, panic attacks, dead bodies. And those were only some of Marlow's worries. Marlow closed her eyes and got lost in her thoughts, hoping the water would wash away her problems.

When she finally got out of the shower and walked back into her room it was already five-thirty. Marlow hadn't even realized that she had been in the shower for nearly two hours. The shower didn't make her feel much better. She was still at a crossroads with Liam. He either loved her or he didn't. Maybe he would rather go for Hayden. And then there was the bonus of several Chimeras running around town.

Marlow grabbed her hairdryer and started drying her hair. She looked at her phone. Mason had texted her once more, giving her advice on what to wear. Marlow smiled at the text. She combed through her hair, then put it up into a high ponytail. She sat down at her vanity and started applying her make-up. While she got ready, Marlow actually forgot her worries as she sent selfies to Mason and started picking out an outfit.

Usually, she would have been running around town, chasing her brother and Scott, and trying to help them when they would only ever push her away anyway. Now, she felt like letting go for a night and having fun with her best friend and boyfriend. She rifled through her closet. Most of her outfits were pretty tame. But then there were some pieces of clothing that Marlow had stuffed into the back of the closet, knowing she could never leave her house in them for school.

They were clothes Lydia had given her over the years. She pulled out two pieces that specifically caught her eye, smirking as she tossed them onto the bed. She put on her underwear and a black bra, then put on a pink skirt and black, see-through top. She turned in front of the mirror and smiled at the image. 

By the time she was done, it was six-thirty p.m. So Marlow put on the black thigh-high boots she saved for special occasions, grabbed her jacket and purse, and left a note for her dad before walking out the door.

* * *

Marlow, Liam, and Mason walked towards the back entrance of Sinema. Mason had convinced Hayden to sneak them in. Mason leaned into Marlow. "You look hot."

Marlow chuckled. "Thank you," she said in a fit of laughter. Marlow and Mason looked over at Liam. His eyes were still glued to his phone.

Mason sighed. "Can you put your phone away for five minutes?" "Scott can howl if he needs you."

Liam put his phone back in his pocket. "I just feel like I should be doing something."

Mason stopped in his tracks and turned to Liam. "You are," he told Liam. "You're my wingman tonight. And considering the state of my dating life, I need a wingman, co-pilot, and a really hot flight attendant."

"I'm definitely not your hot flight attendant." Liam chimed in.

Marlow rolled her eyes. Liam hadn't looked at her once since they arrived at the club and she was getting annoyed. "No, that's definitely me," she said and walked ahead of the boys. She checked her phone. No new messages. She sighed and put the phone back in her purse.

Suddenly Liam put his arms around her waist and pulled her close. "You look amazing today," he said and kissed her on the cheek.

Marlow smiled and turned back towards him. They kissed and for a second Marlow was reminded of how she felt when she first saw Liam. The butterflies in her stomach and the way her heart skipped a beat every time she saw him. Then she looked at Mason smiling at the scene and realized he must have said something to Liam. Marlow and Liam broke apart and the trio walked up to the back door. Hayden opened it, faintly smiling.

Her smile quickly dropped as she saw Liam standing in front of her. "I said I'd let you and her in," she told Mason. She gave Liam an annoyed look. "Not him," she added, looking back at Mason.

"You said we could have a plus one," Mason told her.

Hayden looked back at Liam. "I didn't say plus Liam," she said. Marlow rolled her eyes. She came to Sinema to let loose, not watch her boyfriend and his enemy have a staring contest.

"I'm his flight attendant," Liam told Hayden. Marlow dropped her head in her hand.

"What?" Hayden asked confusedly.

"Wingman," Liam said. "Forget it. I don't have to go in," he added, trying to turn and walk away.

"No, no, no," Marlow said and turned him back towards the door.

"No, you're coming. Okay." Mason added. He rubbed his forehead, then pulled money out of his pocket. "How about me, her and him," he said, holding the money up to Hayden's face. "Plus 50?"

Hayden was silent for a second before she took the fifty dollar bill from his hands. She moved away from the doorframe, extending her arm in a semi-welcoming manner. "Welcome to Sinema."

The trio moved past her and walked into the building. The inside of the club was something entirely new to Marlow. It was dark apart from the few neon lights around them and the horror movie that was being played in the background.

Half naked girls and boys were dancing inside cages and the rest of the dance floor was already packed with people. It was a whole new experience and Marlow couldn't have been happier about it. She wanted nothing more than to be able to get drunk but dancing would have to do. "We don't look old enough to be here," Liam said. 

Mason nodded but his gaze was fixed ahead at two dancing people. Marlow narrowed her eyes and saw that one of the two was Brett. "Neither does he," Mason said, pointing at him.

"So is this club mixed?" Liam asked. Brett let go of the girl and started dancing with a boy next to him.

Mason nodded. "Ish," he said. Marlow smiled at him.

"I wanna end up dancing like that by the end of the night!" she told Liam. Liam smirked at her and the two disappeared on the dance floor.

* * *

Marlow held on tight to Liam as they danced to the blaring music. She looked over at Mason and Brett talking and smirked at them. "They're having fun!" she told Liam, nodding over at the chatting couple. But Liam wasn't listening to her once again. Marlow followed his gaze and realized he was looking at Hayden. She rolled her eyes as Hayden walked past them holding a tray of shots in her hand.

"I'm never going to make enough," Hayden complained.

Marlow grabbed Liam by the chin and turned his head back towards her. "Hey, I'm right here," she told him. He shook his head and smiled at her. She knew his mind was still on her though. Marlow started dancing once more. She closed her eyes and swayed with the music, trying to forget the outside world. She felt Liam untangle himself from her grip and when she opened her eyes he was gone. Marlow groaned out in annoyance and walked over to Mason and Brett.

She hated to intrude but didn't know what else to do. She sat down next to Mason with a sigh. Mason handed Marlow a drink. She couldn't get drunk but it didn't matter to her at that moment. She threw her head back and downed the shot in one swig. "Jesus, woman!" Mason said with an amused glance. Marlow fanned herself as it seemed to get hotter inside the club. "Where's Liam?"

Marlow shrugged. He was all over the place. "Not here," she told Mason. Mason sighed. Marlow realized she didn't even need alcohol to get buzzed. The music and the atmosphere took care of that for her. Liam walked up to them.

"Hey, man. Where'd you go?" Mason asked him, nodding at Marlow. Marlow grabbed Mason's shot glass from him and downed the rest of the alcohol in it.

"I just. I think something's going on. Brett, can I talk to you real quick?" Liam asked. Brett nodded and the two walked off.

Marlow gave Mason a look. Mason knew that look. It was the 'I told you so' look. "He's just freaking out about those Chimera things."

Marlow leaned back in her seat. "That and staring after Hayden mystically," she said, doing a witchy motion with her hands.

Mason shook his head. "Give him more credit."

Marlow rolled her eyes. "I'm here, aren't I?" she asked. Mason sighed. He knew for a fact that Marlow doesn't dress up and go out for just anyone. The fact that Liam hadn't looked at her once without him urging his best friend on wasn't helping his argument. "I'm here and I'm dressed up and Liam's mind has been elsewhere all night."

Mason sighed and leaned back to face her. He gently squeezed her shoulder as Marlow looked at Liam. He was back to running around the club and she wished he would have just talked to her if he felt something was wrong. "What do I do, Mason?" she asked her best friend.

Mason gave her a sympathetic look. He didn't want Marlow and Liam to break up but the way things were going, he didn't know what to say to make it stop anymore. Marlow looked out at the dance floor. Mason followed her gaze and saw Liam and Hayden talking again. Marlow sighed. "You know what? Whatever, man. I came here to forget about my problem and that's what I shall do." she said. She got off her seat and turned back to Mason.

Mason chuckled under his breath as she started dancing once more. "What are you gonna do?"

Marlow shrugged. "Drink. Dance. I might hijack one of those cages." she yelled, pointing at the neon-lit dancing cages.

"Don't do that!" Mason demanded. She waved him off and disappeared on the dance floor. Mason shook his head, looking after his best friend.

Soon enough, Marlow was back on the dance floor. She was dancing wildly and without a care in her mind. She still didn't know where Liam was or what he was up to. The only thing she knew, the only thing she felt, was the beat of the music and the people around her.

Suddenly, time got away from her. She wondered why her friends hadn't looked for her yet. And then she remembered that they all had their own agenda in the club that night. Suddenly, there was a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to face Scott and Kira. "What are you doing here?!" he asked her. 

Marlow shrugged. "Dancing," she stated bluntly. She didn't need anyone judging her. They heard a roar in the distance and before she knew it, Scott was pulling her along as they went to investigate. Marlow let out an annoyed groan.

The trio ran through the beaded curtains to find Mason tending to an injured Brett and Liam being overpowered by a boy with stingers coming out of his arms. "What the hell?!" Marlow yelled.

"You're a little late!" Liam yelled back.

Scott jumped at the scorpion boy, attempting to kick him to the floor. The boy easily shrugged Scott off him and tried attacking Liam once more. Kira unbuckled her belt and whipped out her katana. Marlow roared out and went in for the boy. She spun around and attempted to kick his legs out from underneath him.

He grabbed her by the neck and tossed her aside. Marlow dropped to the floor. She looked up at Kira fighting the stinger-clad boy and back away against the wall. She looked up at Mason as he tended to Brett's wounds. "What the hell is that thing?" Brett asked. Marlow would have liked to know that as well. She watched as Liam finally pushed the boy to the floor, knocking him out.

Marlow let out a sigh of relief, believing the fight to be over. Suddenly, there was a flaming, fox-like aura that engulfed Kira. The Kitsune spun in a circle, raised her katana, and brought it down with a yell. Marlow's eyes widened as she thought Kira was about to kill the boy.

Scott grabbed her wrist before she could bring the sword down on her opponent. "Kira!" he yelled. Kira looked at him, then dropped her sword. The aura disappeared and the room went silent as everyone stared at Kira in shock. This wasn't the same girl Marlow had met. There was something deadly about her. "Is everyone okay?" Scott asked.

Everyone nodded even if some of them were bruised and battered. They would heal though. "We need to get him out of here," Scott added. "Liam, give me a hand," he demanded. Liam moved to grab the boy with Scott when suddenly a spike was shot through the boy's chest. Marlow looked up at where the spike came from. Up there on the rafters, stood three people in masks. One of them pulled the spike back into his gun.

"Why did you do that?" Scott asked them. 

Marlow could feel her chest tighten up once more. She was afraid of another panic attack. Though, she was more afraid of the people who just murdered that boy. "His condition was terminal." one of them said in a distorted voice.

"What does that mean?" Scott asked. The three people turned to walk away. "What does that mean?" Scott asked again. There was nothing but pure frustration in his voice and Marlow got why he felt so at a loss. She did as well.

The strangers turned back. "Failure." one of them said. They turned around once more and they disappeared as fast at they had come.

Marlow looked at the space where they had stood, her heart hammering in her chest. The room grew silent once more. No one knew what to do or say. The shock of the strangers killing the scorpion quickly overshadowed Kira's near-deadly temper tantrum. "What is going on?" Marlow finally asked. No one answered. They didn't have an answer either.


	6. goodbye

Marlow paced up and down her room. She had told Liam to come over and he would be there soon. She didn't like what she was about to do. She didn't want to do it either. But she had made a decision. It was time to let Liam go. Truth be told, the entire school day was awkward. Liam was nowhere to be found at first and when Marlow finally did locate him, he was busy trying to find ways to help Hayden with her money problems.

Marlow knew she was being somewhat irrational. Boyfriends had other girl-friends. Or former friends they wanted to make up with after accidentally punching them in the face. But he wasn't even paying attention to her anymore. Like, none-whatsoever. Marlow and Mason had discussed the things that happened the previous Friday all weekend long. He still couldn't believe what had happened. Marlow was sure he had finally realized that knowing about the supernatural world wasn't all fun and games.

She sat down on the living room couch and checked her phone. Mason was still trying to talk her out of the break-up but Marlow had had all weekend to think about it and she felt her final solution would be best for everyone. Liam could make a clean cut with her and get closer to Hayden and Marlow could focus on the important matters at hand. Like the so-called "Dread Doctors" who were turning teenagers around Beacon Hills into Chimara's and then killing them when they turned out to be "failures".

Stiles was off to Eichen House with Scott, Lydia, and Kira. Marlow had been asked to stay behind. Though Malia wasn't going either, so Marlow knew it wasn't because they were treating her like a broken doll. There was a knock at the door and Marlow's heart began to race. "Here we go," she mumbled. She got off the couch and walked over to the door. Marlow took a deep breath and finally pulled the front door open. "Hey." she subduedly greeted Liam. She motioned for him to come inside. 

"Hey. So what's so important that we couldn't talk about it on the phone?" he asked as he walked inside the house.

Marlow closed the door behind her with a quiet sigh. "Well, I have something to tell you," she said. She wrung her hands nervously. Liam looked up at her as she grew silent. Now that he stood in front of her, the prospect of breaking up with Liam got to her. He was her first. Her first everything. And there was a reason she liked him so much. There were many reasons why she loved him. But she could feel him pulling away from her. The look on Liam's face urged her to go on. "I-" she said before her voice broke off again.

"Are you okay? Did something happen?" Liam asked, his voice growing concerned.

Marlow shook her head. "No, I'm fine," she assured him. She looked around the room nervously. She decided it was time to just rip off the bandaid. "I'm breaking up with you, Liam."

There was a stunned silence in the room. Liam looked at Marlow, mouth agape. Marlow sighed once more. She knew this wouldn't end well. No matter how much she sugar-coated it. "Can you tell me why?"

Marlow looked up at him. For the first time since she'd met him, she couldn't read him. "I think we're both going in different directions," she told him. He remained silent. She knew it sounded dumb. "I know," she said. "But you know it's true."

"Do I?" Liam asked.

Marlow let out a frustrated sigh. "Tell me something," she told him. Liam was still silent but his eyes beckoned her to go on. "Do you have feelings for Hayden?"

"I love you," Liam told Marlow.

"I love you too. But I have the feeling you don't love just me. So tell me, am I right?" she asked. Liam looked around the room with a sigh. "See?"

"So that's it then? You just call it quits without even talking to me first?"

Marlow shrugged. "Would it have changed anything?" she asked. "Would you just stop liking Hayden if I talked to you? Would you pay attention to me for more than two minutes? Would you be okay with staying away from Hayden for me?" she went on. Marlow could feel Liam getting angry. She couldn't blame him. A part of her knew she was being too blunt. Another part knew she would come to regret this soon enough. But it was too late to turn back now.

"Thought so," she said when Liam didn't answer. Marlow sighed again. She walked over to Liam and grabbed his face. They shared a kiss. Their last kiss. "I'm doing this for you, Liam. Trust me. I'm agonizing over this. But I want you to be able to explore other options."

She could feel tears welling in her eyes and for a second she thought she could see Liam tear up as well. "I do love you." he finally said. Marlow nodded as tears started falling down her cheeks. Liam walked past Marlow and opened the door. He turned back to her once more. "Is this really what you want?" he asked. There was a beat of silence, then Marlow nodded. "Okay," Liam said. Once again, Marlow couldn't read the expression on his face. He turned around and walked out the door. 

Marlow watched him go from the living room window and suddenly it was as though something inside her broke. She felt as though she was alienating her loved ones, scared they would be next to die. All she knew was that she had just made a choice. A choice with lasting consequences. At that moment, Marlow couldn't have known just how badly this break-up would come back to bite her in the ass.


	7. riley

Marlow stood in her dad's office with him, Stiles, and Malia. A few deputies had found eight more holes on the lacrosse field. Noah had already crossed out the school picture of the scorpion boy named Lucas. He also crossed out Tracy's picture. "Chimeras," Noah said.

"Two dead Chimeras," Stiles said.

"And eight new ones," Malia added.

"So, that's 10 in all," Stiles concluded.

"I'm thinking maybe 11," Noah said as he put a picture of Donovan on the corkboard. Marlow sighed. She had no idea how they would stop all of these kids. The pack didn't even know if all of them would be violent. Some of them might not even know what they are.

"Our station tech guys confirmed something for me," Noah said. He turned to face the kids. "They said, both the holding cell lock and cameras could have malfunctioned because of something electromagnetic." he went on. He grabbed the Dread Doctors novel that Malia had found in Tracy's room and held it up for them to see. "You said that, uh, these guys..." he said, looking for the right terminology.

"Dread Doctors," Malia told him.

Noah gave her a frustrated look. "Are we really calling them that?"

"So they broke Donovan out?" Malia asked, ignoring his previous question.

"It's how they got into Eichen, isn't it?" Noah asked.

There was a beat of silence as Malia and Marlow studied Donovan's picture. "Donovan's a Chimera," Malia said as she walked up to the corkboard. Marlow still tried to wrap her head around who the other Chimera's could have been. So far, the selection of teenagers had been pretty random.

"Yeah. But Is he a failure like Lucas and Tracy?" Noah asked as he looked at the picture as well.

Stiles turned and walked towards the window. Marlow narrowed her eyes at him. Something was off. Normally, he'd be hitting out theories constantly even if no one wanted to hear them but recently he had been quiet. Marlow had been so wrapped up in her own grievances, she hadn't even noticed her brother's change in behavior until that day.

She turned back to the board as Malia started talking. "If he is, he's probably dead," she said, grabbing the red sharpie to cross out Donovan's picture.

Noah gently grabbed her wrist before she could do so. "Not until I've seen a body," he told her. Malia dropped her hand and Noah turned around. "You're uncharacteristically quiet," he said to Stiles.

Marlow and Malia turned as well and now all eyes were on Stiles. "Yeah. Sorry, I'm, uh I'm just trying to think about it."

"Uh. These are all teenagers, right?" he asked. Marlow nodded. That was something she didn't understand either. Why only teenagers? "So, now shouldn't we be trying to figure out why these teenagers?" Stiles asked. "If the Dread Doctors, if they went through all that. Burying them, killing them, breaking one of them out of jail," Stiles went on. And suddenly, he was back to being the same Stiles Marlow had known all her life.

"They couldn't have been chosen at random." Noah chimed in.

"They had to have something in common," Malia added in agreement. Slowly, they were all catching on. And things started making a bit more sense.

"Something that made them right for this experiment," Noah said. Marlow looked at the pictures again. Just looking at those three teenagers, there was nothing extraordinary about them. Nothing that stood out. 

"Something that made them special," Stiles said. 

Marlow nodded. "Seriously special."

* * *

Marlow stood by Scott's couch table with her friends. Luckily, only Stiles, Scott, Malia, Lydia, Kira, and Theo had gathered to read the mysterious novel about the Dread Doctors. Marlow was more than glad that no one seemed to have told Liam about this experiment. Going to school with him, sitting in the same classes, was already awkward enough. She stared down at the copies of the book. Part of her was scared to read it. Scared to know what horrible memory could be buried in the back of her mind.

"My mom's book club usually has more wine," Lydia spoke up. Marlow laughed under her breath.

"Well, they also probably didn't read books that cause violent hallucinations," Stiles said.

Another aspect that had Marlow scared out of her mind. "That's why Malia's here," Scott said. One relief at least.

"So none of us go running into traffic?" Kira asked.

Scott nodded. "Or worse."

"Like what happened to Judy." Malia chimed in. The others looked at her confusedly. "Chapter 14." Malia clarified.

The group nodded, even though it didn't make much more sense. Marlow was sure it would once they started reading the book. Lydia grabbed the original copy of the book from the table. "Maybe I should have my mother read it. She might remember a girl with a tail leaping off the ceiling and attacking everyone," she said. Marlow gave her arm a reassuring squeeze. She knew not being able to tell her mother anything was hard on Lydia.

"Yeah, if it works." Stiles reminded her.

"It has to," Lydia said.

"What does that mean?" Scott asked.

Lydia was silent for a second. "I think I saw them during my surgery. When I look at the cover of the book It's almost like..."

"A memory trying to surface." Theo chimed in. Marlow narrowed her eyes at him. She didn't know why he was here. What would possess him to insert himself into the experiment if it could very well get him hurt?

"Yeah," Lydia said.

"Isn't that what Valack wanted when he wrote it?" Kira asked.

Lydia nodded. "If they did something to me, I want to know what it is," she said. Lydia sat down on the couch so she could start reading the book.

Marlow leaned down and grabbed a copy of the book with a sigh. "Then let's get to it," she said. She sat down next to Lydia and started reading. Everyone else grabbed their copy and spread out around the room.

About a chapter in, Marlow realized that the book was horrible. The pacing was off and the story made virtually no sense to her. Though she did realize that she was beginning to slow down significantly. With each page, she could feel herself getting more and more tired. She could also feel Theo's lingering stare on her. It started to annoy her.

"Anyone feel anything yet?" Scott asked.

"Tired," Kira answered.

"Hungry," Lydia added.

"I think he meant the book," Theo pointed out.

"It sucks," Marlow said. Theo lightly chuckled and Marlow wanted to know what his deal was.

Another few minutes passed. Marlow's eyelids grew heavier with each word she read. Kira sighed. She put her head down on the armrest. "You're not giving up, are you?" Scott asked her.

"Just resting my eyes," Kira told him.

Marlow would give anything to take a nap as well. Kira turned off the lamp next to her as Marlow dug her cold knuckles into her eyes to stay awake. A few minutes later Kira gave up and walked off to sleep in Scott's room.

One by one, everyone around Marlow fell asleep. Everyone except Marlow herself. There was a stubborn drive that kept her awake. She got frustrated when nothing happened and Theo still being awake and staring her down didn't make her feel any better. Finally, she dropped the book on her lap with an annoyed sigh. "What is it?" she asked Theo.

He gave her an apologetic look. "Just making sure you're okay," he told her. Marlow narrowed her eyes at him. "You don't trust me, do you?"

She couldn't say that exactly. There was something about him that made her trust him. Not like him, but trust him. But she also knew that he was a stranger who had just randomly walked back into their lives. "I find it odd that this book wiped everyone else out, yet you're still sitting here, chipper as ever. And don't think I haven't noticed you staring at us all night," she told him bluntly. Theo wasn't her friend. He was, at most, Scott's friend. She didn't have to be polite with him and quite frankly, she didn't have the energy for it either.

Theo leaned forward with a smirk. "I like you, Marlow. Unlike the others, you tell me to my face that you don't like me. Well, excluding your brother, of course. Must run in the family."

"What's your game, Theo?" Marlow asked.

Theo shrugged. "I'm trying to find a pack," he said. "And right now, I'm trying to get through this book," he added and waved the novel in her face. Marlow rolled her eyes and went back to reading the book. Soon enough, she was fast asleep next to their friends.

* * *

The next day in school went by in a haze for Marlow. She could barely focus on her classes, constantly scared that her memory would hit her. According to Scott, Lydia had already had her vision and it wasn't pretty. Marlow was still trying to wrap her head around what she could have forgotten. She never thought that there could have been something in the back of her head that was so horrible, her mind had to hide it. It seemed unlikely to her. Mason had sent her a text during their free period. He wanted her to come to the Lacrosse field.

Marlow went, even though she knew better. She knew Liam would be practicing Lacrosse with his teammates. She wasn't sure if Mason needed something from her or if this was an attempt at emotional torture. But she knew her best friend and if he ordered her to the field while her ex was practicing, there had to be a good reason for it. She walked through the entrance between the bleachers, her eyes fixated on Liam.

It was getting harder to breathe. She thought back to when she had first seen him. She was sitting right where Mason and Brett were sitting at that moment, staring down at the cute new kid. Now, she was staring at her ex-boyfriend as he and his potential new girlfriend shared looks across the field. Tears started welling in her eyes. She knew she had made a mistake but Liam didn't exactly prove her suspicions wrong. Not even two days had passed since their break up and he was already flirting with Hayden.

Marlow didn't even realize that she was actively weeping until her chest began to tighten. Her eyes locked with Mason's and he got up. She turned and waved him off, shaking her head as she ran off the field. She ran and ran, all the way back into the school and to the girl's bathroom. She locked herself in a stall and started coughing. It was like all of the air had escaped her lungs. But she knew it wasn't a panic attack. She just couldn't stop crying. Marlow sat there for what felt like hours. She had pulled out her phone and started looking through old pictures of her and Liam.

It only made the entire thing worse. Several bells had rung and when Marlow finally looked at the clock she realized school had ended already. She sighed and walked out of the stall. When she caught her reflection in the mirror, she nearly screamed. Her eyes were red from all the crying and her make-up was smeared across her face. She sighed and walked out of the bathroom without fixing it.

In the hallway, she nearly crashed into Malia. "We were looking for you!" Malia said, slightly out of breath.

"Why?" she asked as she looked at Scott and Theo trailing closely behind Malia. Only when she spoke again for the first time in hours did she notice the raspiness of her voice.

Malia gave her a confused look. "We need to get to the hospital," she said. She leaned in closer. "Are you okay?" she asked and wiped some of the smudged mascara off Marlow's face.

Marlow shook her head. "What's going on at the hospital?" she asked. Malia turned back to the boys and nodded at them. They rushed off. "Stiles and Lydia need our help," Malia said. "You don't have to come," she assured Marlow after a beat of silence. 

Marlow shook her head defiantly. "If Stiles needs our help, I'm going."

Malia nodded. "Okay. Remember, I'm always there for you though."

Marlow nodded. She smiled as Malia engulfed her in a hug. The young werecoyote realized that she hadn't even talked to anyone in days. Not about her feelings, anyway. It was nice to know that someone could tell she wasn't in the best mood. The two girls pulled apart and ran out after the boys.

* * *

Marlow, Scott, Malia, and Theo arrived at the hospital just after dark. Marlow had had a bad feeling in her stomach the entire way there. Additionally, there was something on the tip of her tongue. A word. Something. She couldn't quite grasp it but being in the hospital only strengthened that feeling. 

"Malia, Theo, try and find Stiles and Lydia. Marlow and I will go find my mom." Scott ordered. Malia nodded and the four of them branched off.

Marlow and Scott ran into the elevator. As they rode up to their destination, Marlow could feel Scott staring at her. She bit her lip. "What?" she asked. She turned her head to face him.

He looked panicked but there was a hint of sympathy in his look. "You look like a panda right now," he told her with a light smile.

Despite the heaviness of the situation, Marlow let out a chuckle. "I'm aware," she told him with a smile on her face. She tried wiping off the excess makeup but realized there was no point to it. The smile on her face faded as she remembered their mission at the hospital.

Scott reassuringly squeezed her shoulder. "Everything will be okay," he assured her. Suddenly, something inside Marlow's mind clicked. She looked up at Scott. Only now, Scott wasn't standing next to her.

It was her father. "Everything will be okay," Noah said to her. Marlow stood and watched her young self as she stood in front of the hospital's elevator and wept.

"They can't just take her away." little Marlow told her father. She must have been around six or seven years old. Marlow followed her younger self's gaze and saw a teenage boy embrace a little red-headed girl.

She narrowed her eyes. "They don't have any other choice," Noah told little Marlow as calmingly as possible. When the other little girl turned around before entering the elevator, Marlow could take in her appearance. Red hair, fair skin, green eyes. 

Marlow couldn't remember the little girl and she couldn't fathom why she would be weeping for her. Suddenly, little Marlow broke away from her father and ran up to the other girl. The two embraced as the teenaged boy watched on with a look of sadness on his face.

"Promise you'll come looking for me." the little red-head said.

Behind them, a woman dressed in a pantsuit and holding a file came up to them. "It's time to go, sweetheart," she told the little girl.

Marlow and the little girl broke apart. "Promise me," she repeated.

Marlow nodded with tears in her eyes. "I promise. I'll come for you, Riley!"

Riley and the woman walked onto the elevator and disappeared when the doors closed.

"Malia, come on! Run!"

Marlow opened her eyes, startled at the sudden yelling. "I'll come for you, Riley," she said. 

Scott sat next to her on the floor, barely able to breathe. Melissa kneeled in front of them, yelling at Malia. Marlow looked past and Melissa and saw Malia run away from the Dread Doctors. She sat up with a start. Malia made it into the elevator just in time. The doors shut, leaving the Dread Doctors on the other side. Marlow looked around the elevator. What the hell just happened? 

"We never should have read that book," Scott said.

Marlow nodded, unable to speak. That was it. The memory that was so far in the back of her head that she couldn't access it. She still had no recollection of who that little girl in her vision was. Scott gave her a concerned look. "Who's Riley?" he asked. She turned her head to face him. "You kept mumbling the name Riley. Who is it?"

Marlow sighed in defeat. "I wish I knew."


	8. operation: finding a chimera

Before she could get home and look into who Riley is, Marlow was called to Scott's house by Stiles. Apparently, Hayden was also a Chimera. She and the other kid that Scott and Malia found dead on the hospital roof with Stiles and Theo.

Hayden had locked herself in Scott's bathroom and refused to come out. Marlow had no idea why Stiles and Scott thought she was a good choice when it came to coaxing Hayden out of her hiding spot, but there she was.

She climbed up the steps to Scott's room, her heart starting to pound. She had wanted to put some time between the next face-to-face meeting between her and Liam, but even she knew that could never happen.

Now, she not only had to see him but she also had to see him and Hayden. When she realized that she had been standing in the hallway for too long, she finally walked up to the door and into the room with a faked confident look on her face. "Alright, let's do this."

Marlow walked up to the bathroom door, ignoring Liam's lingering gaze on her. She lightly knocked on the door. "Hayden, hey, it's Marlow," she said softly. This whole thing was new to Marlow. Hayden and she had never been on the friendliest terms. 

She didn't know how to approach the situation. Her female intuition told her to do it softly, but every other part of her screamed to just break down the door. But then Marlow heard Hayden's heartbeat through the door. She was terrified and Marlow didn't want to scare the girl more.

She sighed and leaned against the wall next to the door. "Hayden, I know this is scary. Trust me, I do. But something is happening to you. Something life-changing. You don't have to completely trust us but there are some things we have got to explain to you and we can't do that while you're locked inside the bathroom." she explained. Marlow had hoped that the softer tone would help.

"Maybe you should try harder," Stiles spoke up behind her. Marlow turned back to face him and if looks could kill, then Stiles Stilinski would be absolutely dead. He raised his hands defensively. "Sorry, I'll shut up."

Marlow nodded. "Yes, you will," she told him. She turned back to her and knocked on it harder. "Hayden, come on. Either you come out of that door or I will break it down. We won't hurt you, but we need to keep you safe."

Finally, the lock on the door clicked. It opened slightly and Marlow pushed open the door. Hayden stood in the bathroom, eyes glowing yellow, fangs and claws out. Marlow looked at her, eyes wide open. "I believe you."

* * *

Marlow followed Mason around the library. She still wasn't sure what he was looking for but hanging out with him was better than making plans to keep Hayden safe with Scott and Stiles. She sighed as Mason went through the books on the shelves. "What is it?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. I'm good," she assured him. Mason turned to her. He gave her a knowing look and she rolled her eyes. She couldn't fool Mason. He saw right through her charades, every damn time. She threw her hands up in defeat. "Fine!"

She leaned against one of the bookshelves. "I don't know if I should be helping the others tonight," she admitted. Mason narrowed his eyes at her. Marlow knew the look on his face too well. He had always been intent on helping people, something that was important to her as well. But asking her to guard her ex's crush seemed too much, even for her.

"Because of Liam and Hayden? Marlow, that seems a little harsh, don't you think?" Mason finally asked. His tone wasn't accusatory. No, Mason only used that tone of voice when he was really pissed off. He sounded more surprised that Marlow was even thinking of disobeying one of Scott's orders.

Marlow let out an annoyed groan. "Not just because of them. It's..." she broke off. She looked around to see if anyone was listening, then leaned into Mason. "If I can't even save Lydia, one of my best friends, without having a panic attack, then how am I supposed to help keep Hayden safe?"

Mason smiled at her. It was a warm and reassuring smile. He never failed at giving her that kind of smile. "I get it," he assured her. Marlow smiled back at him. He shrugged. "And you don't have to help out at the school tonight. We can do our own little side investigation."

Marlow started to smirk. A mischievous smirk which she usually only reserved for when she and her brother were planning some shenanigans. "Like back in the old days?" she asked. Mason nodded and gave her a wide smile. "And you think they won't be mad at me? Like, they'll think of me as the angry ex-lover who refuses to help out of spite?"

Mason shrugged. "So what? Let them think so. They already have Scott, Lydia, Malia, and Parrish helping them."

Marlow admired him for making this situation sound so easy. In reality, Scott could very well get mad at her for bailing. But Marlow also knew that she couldn't bring herself to help them. Not just because it was about keeping Hayden safe. She was still scared that another emergency would earn her another panic attack. She hated feeling so defenseless. Fighting supernatural big bad's had never been a problem before. She would practically throw herself into the mix, even when Scott and Stiles said no. "I feel like a bitch."

Mason chuckled. He put his arm around her shoulder as they walked further down the aisle. "You are a bitch. A bad bitch. One who knows what she wants and how to get it."

Marlow smirked again. "I am, aren't I?" she asked. They shared a laugh. Something Marlow needed in those new dark ages. Marlow lightly hit Mason in the arm. "I'm in," she told him. Screw bending over backways just to make it easier for everyone. This was her year.

Mason went back to the stacks and finally picked one of the books from the shelves. He looked over it, then up. Suddenly, his gaze was fixed on something a shelf over. A few seconds later he quickly shoved the book back inside the shelf and turned to Marlow with a panicked expression on his face. Marlow looked at him questioningly. She had no idea what had him so rattled.

"Mason?" she heard someone ask softly. Mason closed his eyes for a second. When he reopened them Marlow urged him to talk to the person on the other side. He sighed softly and pulled the book out of the shelf once more. "You're Mason, right?"

"Yeah," Mason answered. "You're Corey."

Marlow walked up closer next to Mason to see who this Corey was. "I'm Marlow." she greeted softly. She didn't know the kid personally but she'd seen him around in school before. He seemed nice.

Corey smiled at her. "Hi." he greeted back. He turned his attention back to Mason. "You saw Lucas that night. My friend said he saw you talking to him."

Mason nodded. "Yeah, uh, I met him that night. He was, uh, really cool," he said, sounding less convincing with each word. Marlow pinched him lightly to keep him on track. "Look, I'm sorry about what happened."

"Did he say anything? About me? About what happened?" Corey asked. Marlow could see residual pain in his eyes, but also confusion and desperateness.

Mason shook his head. "Sorry," he told Corey. "I mean, I already told the cops everything I know. Which wasn't much. I'm-I'm really sorry." he explained. Corey nodded. He turned around, put the book he was holding back into its place on the shelf, and left without another word. Marlow and Mason looked at the book's title. 'Miraculous Healing'. They gave each other a knowing look. "You think he's one of them? A Chimera?" Marlow asked Mason.

He sighed, shaking his head. "He might be," Mason told her. Marlow looked at Corey as he exited the library. None of the Chimera's seemed evidently evil before they turned. It only made Marlow question why the Dread Doctors would choose them more.

She turned back to face Mason once more. If anyone would be able to figure this out, it was him. He would at least be more help than herself. "Well then, I guess we know who to investigate next," she said. Mason nodded at her and continued his search.

* * *

Marlow and Mason sat on her bed, pictures and other information on Corey sprawled out in front of them. She might have not known how to make a cohesive murder board like her brother, but even Marlow knew how to do some simple research. "Okay, so, on all accounts, Corey Bryant is a quiet, hard-working, nice sophomore," Marlow said, looking over the school records she had acquired.

Mason raised a finger. "Except, when he goes out partying at Sinema every Friday." he reminded Marlow. He pointed at some of Corey's social media posts. He was, in fact, quite good at partying.

Marlow nodded. "Yeah, but none of that really factors into why the Dread Doctors would want him, or any of the others, for their little experiment. What makes them so special?"

Mason shook his head. "I don't know. It's driving me insane," he told her. She felt his pain. They had found a few pieces of the puzzle but were still missing hundreds of others.

Marlow dropped back onto her bed with a frustrated sigh. The search for the other missing Chimeras wasn't the only thing keeping her up at night. Mason turned his head to face her. "Do you remember a little girl from our childhood named 'Riley'?"

Mason narrowed his eyes. "Riley?" he mumbled. He went silent as his mind began to race, trying to find answers he probably couldn't come up with. He must have forgotten about her as Marlow did. Only now, she was wondering if everyone would have forgotten her. There is simply no way that's true. "Was she in your repressed memory?" Mason suddenly asked. Marlow nodded. He thought for a second, then turned back to her. "Did that vision come with a last name or anything that can help us identify her?"

Marlow sat up and backed up on her bed. She closed her eyes, leaning against the headrest. She thought back to the vision. The little girl's appearance was still ever-present in her mind. So was the pained look on her face. It had kept her up for two days. Not knowing who that little girl was, drove her insane. There seemed to have been nothing special about her vision until Marlow remembered one fine detail. "I didn't hear the last name," she said. Mason turned around to face her once more. She smirked at him. "But I did see it."

There was a certain gleam in Mason's eyes as he urged Marlow to go on. Marlow crawled back in front of her laptop and opened up Google. "In my vision, there was this pantsuit lady who took Riley away. She had a file in her arm. Her whole name was on it." Marlow explained as she typed away. She hit the 'search' button and her heart skipped a beat upon reading the first headline related to Riley. Marlow clicked on it and pointed at the screen. Mason looked over her shoulder. "Riley Stevens."

Mason skimmed over the article. "Her parents, Sophie and Jonah, died in a car crash in 2005. We were six back then, I'm assuming she was too. She was put into the foster care system after that. She had no other relatives who could take care of her."

Marlow nodded. "The lady that took her away in my vision must have been working for CPS or something along those lines."

Mason hummed in agreement. "But why would we have forgotten about her?"

Marlow shrugged. There was no real reason they should have forgotten her. They were old enough to remember people. Especially ones who were apparently their best friend. Suddenly, Marlow's eyes widened as she re-read the article. "Oh my God," she said. Mason narrowed his eyes at her. "I could have sworn I had heard Deatong telling me about two old friends once," she said. Mason's look urged her to go on. "Their names were Sophie and Jonah."

Mason sat up with a start. "So you think Deaton knows Riley?" Mason asked.

Marlow shrugged. She would have gone to ask him right away but he was still MIA. "Her parents at least. But that's not why his mentioning them stuck with me. It was because of what he said about them." Marlow told Mason. "He said that they were a witch and a werewolf," she said. Mason looked at her, eyes wide open.

Marlow shared his feelings. If Riley's parents were supernaturals, she must have been as well. That meant that, for some reason, Riley's parents died and she was then taken away from Beacon Hills. And the more Marlow thought about it, the less she believed Riley's parent's deaths were purely accidental. But that still left her with the question of why they couldn't remember her.

"Hold on, so we knew another supernatural being before you even turned into one and we somehow don't even remember her existence?" Mason asked. His mind was scrambled and he didn't like it. Marlow knew very well that Mason hated not knowing what was going on. He always had to have an answer for every question. Even the hard ones.

Marlow dropped her elbows on her thighs with a depleted sigh. She didn't know what to tell him. The Dread Doctor's novel had given her back that memory, but she didn't know why and what to do with it. She didn't even know how to find Riley. "Is the article of her parent's death the only thing about her?"

Mason pulled Marlow's laptop closer to him and set it down on his thighs. He clicked the return icon and scrolled down on the search page. Marlow put her chin on his shoulder with a sigh. It didn't seem like they would find much. Most of the articles on the Stevens were about their death. But, suddenly, Mason stopped on one of the articles. "Look!" he told Marlow with a gleam in his eyes.

Marlow read the headline. 'Riley Stevens, a child-cook genius'. She narrowed her eyes. "You think that's her?" she asked Mason. It was such an innocuous title. In her vision, Riley nearly broke down at the prospect of leaving Beacon Hills. It was hard to believe she settled in with another family after her parent's untimely passing.

Mason clicked on the article to confirm his hunch. And in fact, there was a girl who looked to be about thirteen in the article. She looked like a slightly more grown version of the little girl Marlow saw in her vision. "It says she lives in Los Angeles," Mason said.

Marlow skimmed over the article. It was something about Riley winning a cooking contest at her school. The article was from a local newspaper, even the school's name was written out. But her happiness on the find was dampened when she saw the date of the article. She sighed. "This was posted three years ago. She could have moved since then."

Mason's head dropped into his palm. He started rubbing his forehead. Even he was at a loss now. A few seconds later, his head perked up once more. "You could ask your dad," he suggested.

Marlow thought about it. It sounded like a good idea on paper but if Marlow and Mason had forgotten the existence of Riley, then it seemed plausible that everyone else had as well. After all, when she told Scott about her vision he had no recollection of the girl. Neither did Stiles when she told him. "Maybe when he's not swamped with Chimeras running around town."

Mason nodded and closed the laptop. "You're right," he said. They looked back to the board and the evidence in front of them. "Speaking of Chimeras."

Marlow nodded. She knew they had to get back to it. "Well, one thing is for sure," she said. She grabbed a pencil and one of the yellow sticky notes off her desk. She wrote the word 'Chimera' on it and put the note below Corey's school picture and name. "Corey Bryant is a Chimera."

Mason walked up next to her. He nodded at the board. "Now we just have to find out why the Dread Doctors chose him."

"And we're going to have to find a way to tell him the truth without him running out on us."

Mason checked Corey's social media once more. He scrolled through his Instagram page on his phone and finally looked up at Marlow. The look he gave her was a victorious one and hers urged him to spit it out. "It's a Friday. Corey's usually at the Sinema on Fridays."

Marlow narrowed her eyes at him. "You think he'll go back there so soon after his boyfriend was killed in that club?"

Mason shrugged and sat down on her bed. Marlow gave him an unconvinced look but he went on anyway. "I would assume that right now, he's very confused and scared about his new abilities. And what does a person usually do when they're confused and scared?"

"Try and find out what's going on?"

"And when that doesn't work?"

Marlow looked at the board, then back at Mason. "Drink 'til you forget about your problems."

Mason pointed a finger at her and got up off the bed. He checked his wristwatch. "It's after eight. He might be there already," he said. Marlow gave him a questioning look. He would have to elaborate his plan for her to be on board with it. Mason sighed. "Put on your dancing shoes and get your car," he grabbed his keys and jacket off Marlow's desk. "Because we're going back to Sinema."

Marlow smirked at him. If anyone could talk Corey into coming with them, it was Mason. Marlow could have probably done it too. Just not without knocking him unconscious first. She grabbed her jacket and rolled the board back against the wall. The two exited her room. She was still thinking about Riley and how to come in contact with her. But right now getting information from Corey and keeping him safe from the Dread Doctors was more important. Riley would have to wait.

* * *

Marlow and Mason walked into Sinema. They had tried to sneak in the back door. When it wouldn't budge, Marlow basically unhinged it to get it open. She tried putting the door back on its hooks but it wasn't her problem anymore. The two looked around for Corey. Marlow still didn't know how they were supposed to break the news to him. Sure, he was probably expecting something weird but there was no guarantee for it.

Suddenly, Mason pointed ahead in the darkness. Marlow had to strain her eyes to see but she could finally make out Corey standing a little further off, drowning his sorrows in alcohol. "There he is!" Mason yelled in an attempt to overpower the music. Marlow made no efforts to answer and just nodded at Corey, signaling Mason to take this one. He seemed to already have formed a connection with the other boy and Marlow didn't know how he would react to both of the pummeling him with this news.

Mason gave her a look. It screamed of reluctance. Marlow let out a deep sigh. Sometimes Mason was too uncomfortable in his skin and she didn't like that. So she walked up behind him, put her hands on his shoulders, and started lightly pushing him forward. He gave her a slightly scared look but eventually pushed forward and walked up to Corey. Marlow tucked her hair behind her ear to hear the conversation. "You okay?" Mason asked Corey.

Corey dropped the empty glass of alcohol he was nursing. It shattered on the ground, the sound making Marlow flinch. "Better than ever," Corey said, a smirk forming on his face. He walked up to Mason. For a second Marlow thought they would start making out and that she would have to jump in and stop them. As much as she wanted Mason to have some luck with a guy, they had more pressing issues to work through.

Luckily, Mason pulled back and instead grabbed Corey's hand. "It healed. Didn't it?" he asked. Mason pulled back Corey's sleeve to reveal a perfectly fine arm. He looked back at Marlow. She craned her neck to see the arm. Yep, Corey was definitely something. She nodded at Mason and walked up to the boys. Corey gave the duo a pained expression.

Marlow put her hand on his shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry, sweetheart. We're gonna explain everything to you," she told him, a warm smile forming on her face.

* * *

Marlow and Mason burst through the school doors. When they were finally done explaining Corey's new normal to him, Mason immediately wanted to talk to Scott to tell him what they had found out. The atmosphere inside was strange, Marlow noticed it immediately. It was too quiet. And they couldn't find any of their friends. Marlow closed her eyes and focused on their scents.

At first, she couldn't pick up anything, then too many scents at once. Everyone was definitely still there. Well, except for Liam and Hayden. Which worried Marlow. She and Mason rounded corner after corner until both finally came to a sudden halt. Right in front of them, Malia lay on the floor, writhing in what looked like pain. Though there were no visible injuries on her. Marlow knelt next to her. "What is going on?"

She looked up at Mason. He was just as puzzled as her. "Go look for Scott! He has to be around," she ordered.

Mason nodded and rushed off. Malia wasn't injured. Something else was going on. Marlow put her hands on Malia's shoulders and started shaking her. "Malia! Malia, wake up!" she demanded. The other girl was shaking underneath her. There was nothing but absolute fear in her eyes. Marlow's heart skipped a beat. She had no idea what had happened, what went wrong, but something clearly did.

Marlow shook Malia again. She took a deep breath. Her eyes glowed an icy blue. "Malia!" she roared.

Finally, Malia stopped shaking. She blinked slowly, taking a deep breath. She looked up at Marlow. "Where were you?" she asked, her voice just as shaky as her body was mere seconds ago.

Marlow helped Malia get up off the floor. "I was out with Mason. We found another Chimera," she explained. She had to know what happened right away. Something felt extremely wrong. "What happened?"

"It was the Dread Doctors!" Marlow suddenly heard Lydia yell. The Banshee ran past her and into the boy's locker room. "They came and distracted us with our greatest fears."

Marlow and Malia followed her into the room. Apart from a couple of broken cell phone jammers on the floor, it was empty. "They took 'em," Malia said. Marlow's eyes widened. Liam and Hayden were gone.

"Where's Scott?" she asked instantly. At that point, Scott and Mason came stumbling through the door. Scott looked just as shaken as Malia and Lydia. He gave his friends a questioning look.

"They're gone," Lydia said.

"Hayden and Liam are gone," Malia added.

Now more than ever, Marlow felt horrible about skipping out on helping her friends. She had no idea what went wrong with their plan. She didn't know if Liam and Hayden could be helped. If there was even a way to stop the Dread Doctors. All she knew was that they would have to move hell and earth to find them.


	9. new plans

Marlow followed Scott and Malia through the woods. She tried to catch Liam or Hayden's scent. Neither had hit her along the way. She questioned whether or not the two would even be hidden in the woods. If the Dread Doctors performed entire experiments on their victims, they probably weren't doing it out in the open. Especially not the woods.

Scott had rapidly surpassed Marlow and Malia. Marlow came to a halt, trying to catch her breath. Malia stopped as well. "This is pointless." Marlow choked out. Malia gave her a look. She knew that look. It told her not to give up hope. Marlow would never admit it, but she wasn't sure if she had hope for the two to begin with.

The girls heard Scott roar in the distance. Malia nodded towards the direction of the roar and Marlow followed her. They came to a stop once again when they found Scott kneeling on the cliff that overlooked the whole town of Beacon Hills. "There's no scent. No tracks. No way to find 'em." Scott told them, his breath coming out in ragged heaps.

"But Liam can howl back, right?" Malia asked. Marlow crossed her arms in front of her chest. The chances of the Dread Doctors not somehow incapacitating Liam and Hayden were slim. Seriously slim. But she kept her comments to herself. Now was not the time to mouth off.

"Only if he heard me," Scott told Malia. He turned around to face them. Marlow couldn't help but notice the way he looked at her. There was a hint of disdain in his look. She closed her eyes with a sigh.

She already felt bad enough for leaving her friends alone, this was unnecessary. But she would be stupid to bring it up now. No, she wouldn't do that. Not when Liam and Hayden's lives were on the line. "I don't think the Dread Doctors would leave anything up to chance. They wouldn't hide them in plain sight," she said instead. Even risking Scott getting angry at her for stating the obvious.

Scott let out a depleted sigh. "Yeah, I got that much too. Thanks, Marlow," he said, his voice dripping in so much snide and sarcasm, Marlow thought her brother was standing in front of her and not Scott.

She bit down on her lip. Marlow felt horrible about this situation. She really did. But she couldn't handle Scott being mad at her. Not when he had never been mad at her before. Not once in her entire life. "I didn't cause this, you know?"

"You didn't really help us either, did you?" Scott asked.

Marlow scrunched up her nose, trying to thwart the tears welling in her eyes. She wouldn't start crying because Scott McCall was going off on her. She was too old for that. She might start crying if they never find Liam and Hayden or find them dead, but not because of Scott. She could see the slightest hint of regret in his eyes.

Malia stepped in between the two as Marlow's phone started ringing. She pulled the device out of her pocket. Stiles' name was shown on the display. She tapped on the accept button and turned away from her friends. "I think we're all on edge here, okay? No reason to start fighting each other," she heard Malia say as Stiles started rambling on the other side.

"Calm down, Stiles! What's wrong." Marlow asked alarmedly. She didn't know what to expect. Did his mission with Theo go well? Is he calling to tell her that their dad found Liam and Hayden dead? She carefully listened as he explained their newest problem. When he was done, she thanked him and hung up the phone.

"Marlow, I'm sorry," Scott said as the young werecoyote turned back to her friends. 

She ignored his apology and instead went on to explain the situation. "That was Stiles," she said, holding up her phone, "Kira has just been arrested for murder."

* * *

Marlow stood next to Mason and Lydia as they waited for Corey to finish reading the Dread Doctors book. If it would go down as it did with them, then he would need a lot of time to get through it. Marlow knew it was the only idea they could come up with on the fly, but it still seemed very flawed. Especially because they would have to wait for Corey to have a vision.

And even then it could be about something that wasn't the Dread Doctors experimenting on him. "Sorry, I'm only on chapter two I'm kind of a slow reader." Corey disclosed with an apologetic look on his face. Marlow felt bad for him. Not only had he been experimented on without his consent, now he had to relive the entire thing.

"Oh, that's okay, Corey." Mason sympathized. Marlow could tell Mason was falling for Corey. She was happy for Mason but she was also scared that the Dread Doctors would come back for Corey.

Marlow gave Corey a sweet smile. "Yeah. This book pretty much sucks. It made all of us fall asleep." she assured him. Corey let out a light laugh.

Suddenly, Scott came dashing into the room. Marlow jumped slightly. He had been with Kira after her arrest and she didn't think he'd be back so soon. "He's right. We don't have time for that anyway." he declared. Marlow looked at him wide-eyed as his claws extended and he rushed up to Corey.

Lydia stepped forward, extending her hand as a means to stop Scott from his next move. "No, Scott, don't!"

Scott refused to listen, burying his claws in Corey's neck instead. Marlow gasped, putting her hand up to her heart. What was Scott thinking? He knew how dangerous this practice was.

His eyes started glowing red as he read Corey's mind and his memory. Marlow crossed her arms in front of her chest, a huff escaping her lips. She shook her head as Lydia looked at her. Lydia's look told her to take it easy on Scott, but Marlow didn't know if she could.

Even with Liam and Hayden's life on the line, endangering Corey's as well wasn't okay. Stiles, Malia, and Theo rushed into the room. "Don't get too close," Lydia warned.

Theo narrowed his eyes at the scene. "What is he doing?"

Lydia kept her eyes fixed on Scott and Corey. "Tapping into Corey's memories. It's usually something only Alphas do," she explained to Theo. Marlow stared at the boy's, her face void of any emotion. She didn't know what to think of Scott's practices anymore.

Theo slowly walked up to Scott and Corey. "Is it as dangerous as it looks?" he asked, giving the two a studying look. Marlow narrowed her eyes at him.

Stiles nodded. "Probably more."

"Does anyone know if it's working?" Mason wondered aloud. Scott and Corey were quiet apart from the ragged breaths escaping her lips. Marlow imagined having an Alpha werewolf dig his claws into your mind wasn't the greatest feeling. It went on for a few more minutes before Scott finally broke away from Corey with a gasp.

Corey jumped up and fell into Marlow and Lydia's arms. "Is he okay?" Scott asked, gasping for air. At least he seemed to be feeling remorseful about it. That didn't make it better though.

"What the hell did you do to me?" Corey asked angrily. He rubbed the back of his neck. Marlow pulled his hand away to inspect the wounds. They weren't bad. He'd heal.

"You'll be all right," Scott told Corey.

"There's blood," Corey said, pulling his fingers away from his neck. There was indeed blood on them.

Marlow squeezed his shoulders assuringly. "It's okay, Corey. You'll be fine," she spoke up. He looked at her with uncertainty in his eyes.

"You'll heal," Scott insisted. Marlow looked at him, disdain in her eyes. Did he even think about Corey's safety before doing his thing?

"Scott-" Stiles tried, walking up to his best friend. Scott grabbed a notepad and pencil off his desk before throwing up his hand.

"He'll be fine!" he insisted once more. He began drawing on the notepad. "Listen I think it worked. I saw something. There were tunnels. Pipes along the walls. There were these huge blue pipes at the entrance. Two on both sides."

Stiles and Lydia walked up next to him to inspect the drawing. Stiles narrowed his eyes at the illustration. "Wait a second I know this." he disclosed, looking up at Scott. "I've seen this before. That's one of the tunnels I used to skateboard in. Remember my dad caught me one time and told me to never go back?"

"It's the water treatment plant," Lydia stated.

"That's where they are. That's where we'll find Liam and Hayden." Scott declared. He sprinted out of the room, his friends following suit.

"Scott! Scott, slow down. Just think for a second, okay?" Stiles asked as they arrived downstairs. "Mason shouldn't be going." he insisted. Finally, someone was making sense. If anything, the supernaturals should go. They could heal and defend themselves properly.

Marlow pointed at her brother. "Exactly!" she affirmed, walking up in front of Scott. She looked at him pleadingly, trying to appeal to his common sense. "You can't just take him with you to hunt down the Dread Doctors."

Mason pushed past Marlow "Liam's my best friend. I'm going." he insisted. Marlow sighed. Of course, Mason wanted to go. He'd been wanting to come along since the beginning. Of course, now it was because he wanted to save Liam but that didn't put him in any less danger.

"Oh, did you suddenly get super wolf powers? I wasn't aware of that development." Stiles asked sarcastically. At least he had her back. He always would.

Marlow nodded, walking up next to Stiles. "Stiles is right. Sarcastic, maybe," she said, giving him a look. He shrugged. She waved him off. "But right. Mason, I love you like a second brother and there's a lot of things you're great at," she went on, looking at him intently. "But fighting isn't one of them."

Scott gave her that disdainful look once more and Marlow was about to wipe it off his face. "Well, neither of you are going, I could use the help."

Marlow crossed her arms in front of her chest, getting angrier by the second. "I'm not coming because you're not thinking clearly, Scott." she insisted, putting two fingers to the side of her head. She walked up to him. "You know nothing about these...whatever they are!" she snapped, motioning wildly. "So far, they've always had something up their sleeves against us and now, you want to run through those tunnels with no plan, no means of escape, after just having physically assaulted Corey and dragging Mason around with you while making sure he doesn't get hurt. Do you not see that you need a better strategy than that?"

Scott looked at her angrily. "We don't have time to come up with a better strategy than that. And you know it too!" he barked.

Stiles pulled Marlow back and thank god he did because she was about to start a fight. "Let's just stay calm, alright?" he asked. "I'm coming just as soon as I talk to my dad. They're moving the body and he wants to make sure that this time no one steals it."

Marlow silently fumed as they continued arguing. She had to get Scott out of her sight before she did something she'd regret later. "How's he gonna do that?" Malia chimed in.

"I don't know," Stiles answered. "But whoever took the last one was strong enough to flip my Jeep."

"We can bring Theo," Malia suggested, pointing at the boy. Marlow retreated behind Stiles and Theo, trying to contain her anger.

"Maybe I better stay here. You know, in case the Doctors decide to make a house call for Corey." Theo suggested instead. He was right. The Dread Doctors could come back for the boy at any time. Another reason why they shouldn't rush into things.

"Scott, Stiles, and Marlow are right." Lydia tried, but Marlow knew Scott wasn't ready to reason with his friends. "We need to slow down and think."

"I am thinking about how Liam and Hayden could already be dead." Scott needlessly reminded her.

"You could've hurt him, Scott. Really hurt him." Lydia argued. Marlow pointed at Lydia in agreement.

"I have to find Liam," Scott told them. He turned around and walked out the door, Mason followed him. Marlow growled as she watched Mason leave. She wanted him to stay with them. Stay safe. She clenched her fists.

Stiles stopped Malia in her tracks. "Hey, text me. For anything."

Malia turned back to him and nodded. "I got it."

"Anything at all. Okay?" Stiles added.

Malia walked out after the boys. Marlow released the tight grip on her fist. This time, she felt blood trickling through her fingers. There was a stunned silence in the room when all was said and done. Finally, Stiles said goodbye to his friends and rushed off to the hospital.

Marlow shook her hands as the small wounds her nails made began to heal. Theo nodded at the blood on her fingers. "You okay?" he asked. Marlow closed her eyes. She nodded, simply not concerned about her distrust for Theo anymore. He had proven himself in her eyes. She had other grievances to sort through at this point anyway.

Lydia walked away from the remaining friends. "I'm gonna get a wet cloth for your neck, Corey," she called out, disappearing into the kitchen. Marlow sat down on the couch in the living room with a sigh. She heard a few drawers open and shut, then the faucet began running.

Marlow patted the spot next to her on the couch, then pointed at Corey. "Sit down," she ordered. Corey looked like he wanted to do anything but that. He looked like he wanted to run for the hills and Marlow couldn't blame him after what had just gone down. She herself still couldn't believe it. What was happening to all of them? What were the Dread Doctors doing?

She felt the sofa cushion shift next to her as Corey plopped down onto it with a sigh. Lydia walked back into the living room and up behind Corey. "Put your head down," she told him. Corey did as he was told. Marlow craned her neck to see his injuries. Lydia put the wet cloth on Corey's neck.

When she removed it, the claw marks were completely gone. "It healed, didn't it?" Corey asked. Marlow looked at him. He reminded her of herself when she first found out she could heal. It would seem like a great thing but really, you're just thinking about the fact that you're different now. And not necessarily in a good way.

Lydia scrunched up her nose, putting her hand down. She looked at Marlow, then Theo, as if telling them to break the news to him. "Yeah. Completely." Theo affirmed.

"Okay, then," Corey said, getting up off the couch, clearly annoyed and more confused than ever. Marlow knelt on the couch, putting her arms on the headrest. "It's been fun. Especially the part where a werewolf forced his way into my brain with his claws." he went on, then started to walk away.

Marlow wanted to let him go but she also knew the Dread Doctors were still a threat to him. So did Theo. He walked up to Corey, stopping him in his tracks. "I don't think leaving is such a good idea, Corey. You know, Lydia's a Banshee. It means she can tell when someone's close to death." he explained. Theo pointed behind him to where Lydia was standing. "Lydia, what happens if he walks out that door?"

Lydia looked at Marlow. Marlow raised her eyebrows, unsure what to tell her. "It's bad." Lydia finally declared, walking past the couch. "Very bad," she added for emphasis. Marlow knitted her eyebrows together. She thought that after years of lying her friends would be better at it at this point.

Corey scoffed, shaking his head. "I'll take my chances." he ended determinately, turning away from them once more. Marlow jumped off the couch and followed Lydia and Theo as they went after Corey.

"Then give us a better chance of finding our friends. What else did you see?" Theo asked. Corey stopped again and turned back to the trio. "Come on, Corey, there had to be something else."

"There was the hospital and they took me outta my room." Corey started. 

Lydia walked ahead of Theo. "And then where?"

"The tunnels. Like I already told you. That's it." Corey insisted once more.

"Yeah, nothing after that?" Theo asked, walking up to Corey. Marlow didn't think intimidation tactics would work in this situation.

"No," Corey stated determinately, his hand on the doorknob. He opened the door and attempted walking out.

"Well, there has to be more. Think. Corey, for one minute, just think." Theo pleaded.

Corey sighed, letting go of the door. He shook his head. After a few seconds of thinking, he looked back at the trio. "There was a basement."

"Where? Like, in a building?" Lydia asked.

Corey nodded. "A house. It was old, covered in dust and There was a broken stone wall with a large hole in it. Like a bomb went off." he explained. Marlow perked up. That description sounded familiar.

"Lydia, the werewolf with the talons, the one that attacked Scott. Didn't Parrish say that he smashed through the wall of a basement? Wasn't it something like that?" Theo asked.

Marlow's eyes widened. "Yes!" she exclaimed. The others looked at her. She snapped her fingers at them. "I was there. At that house. With my dad. I can give you the address!" she said. Theo nodded at her eagerly. Marlow pulled her phone out of her pocket and texted Theo the address of the abandoned house. "Done!" she declared. She pushed him forward. "Go, go, go!"

Theo dashed through the door and out of the house. Marlow let out a sigh of relief. "Can I go now?" Corey asked.

Marlow nodded, waving towards the door. "Go. You did your part," she told him. Corey left without another word and Marlow turned back to Lydia. The Banshee had her eyes narrowed at her friend, arms crossed in front of her chest.

Marlow mirrored her stance and expression. "What?"

Lydia shifted her weight from one leg to another. "What's going on with you?" she asked. Marlow gave her a questioning look. "Normally, you would throw yourself at the opportunity to rescue someone. Normally, you wouldn't nearly tear Scott's head off." she went on. "Normally, you would have never broken up with Liam."

Marlow sighed, dropping her arms to her sides. She looked up at the ceiling, trying to find the right answer. The one that sounded least pathetic. But there wasn't one. She would have to be honest. She looked back at Lydia. "I'm scared," she admitted. Lydia knitted her eyebrows together. She had known Marlow since her own sophomore year of High School and she'd never seen her scared before.

Marlow walked up to the door and turned back to Lydia. "I'm scared like I've never been before, Lyds." she went on. "It started when I saw you in my dad's office, clinging on to your life. I had a panic attack right there and then. What would happen if I actually came face-to-face with the Dread Doctors?" she asked. She felt pathetic. For years she had fought at her friend's side, with no problems. Now, she felt like she was suffocating every time she was near them.

Lydia walked up to Marlow and put her hand on her arm. "Marlow, being scared doesn't mean you're useless in a fight. It's a normal thing. I would be more worried about you if you weren't scared of anything."

Marlow bit down on her lip. She knew Lydia was right but still couldn't help but feel useless. She stood there, whining about her feelings while her friends were out saving another friend. Her ex. The love of her life. Or so she thought. She shook her head. "You're better off without me." she declared and walked out of Scott's house, ignoring Lydia calling after her.

* * *

Marlow sat in her car, eyes fixed on the road. She was just out of Beacon Hills when her phone rang beside her. It was Stiles. She quickly pressed the accept button and put the call on speakerphone. "What is it?"

"Marlow, where are you?" Stiles asked concernedly. Marlow already knew she would be getting in trouble for the decision she had made. But she was fully willing to take any punishment she got from it.

She bit down on her lip, tightening her grip on the wheel. "On the road." she finally answered. "Did they find Liam and Hayden?" she asked curiously. It had gotten dark by the time Marlow was out of town and she had been thinking about the two non-stop.

"Yeah, they're alive. Lydia told me they're all still at Scott's place." Stiles answered. He sighed. "She said she was really concerned about you." he went on. "Told me you were scared and saying we're better off without you."

Marlow sighed defeatedly. The last thing she wanted was for Stiles and her dad to think she'd do something stupid. "It's not like that, Stiles."

"Then what is it? If this is you running away from home, may I remind you that you did that constantly as a child? And you were always back home by dinner."

A smile crept up on Marlow's face as she thought back to the old days. The days before hunters trying to kill her because she was without a Pack, before Alpha's, Dark Druids, Kanima's, and assassins tried to kill her. The days before she was a werecoyote in this messed-up town. "I'm not running away, big bro." she finally told Stiles. "I'm going to get someone. Someone who can hopefully help us."

"Who?" Stiles asked curiously.

Marlow smiled, staring at the road. She didn't need Stiles talking her out of it. Or anyone else for that matter. Her mind was set on what she had to do to prove her usefulness. This time around, it wasn't fighting. It was providing back-up. "An old friend." she simply said. She hung up the phone before Stiles could get up a response and increased the speed of her car.

Driving along the road made her feel safe. She had a plan and would execute that plan. Her friends would be fine without her. They could handle themselves and she wouldn't be much help anyway. It was time to bring in reinforcement. Time to look for Riley.


	10. road trip

It was daytime when Marlow had finally arrived in Los Angeles. And it took her another hour and a half to get information on where Riley lived these days. When all the nice asking and attempted bribing didn't work, she decided to use force instead and knocked the principal out cold. She ransacking his files for Riley's and once she had found the address, she jumped out of the window and back into her car.

Now, she was standing in front of the house where Riley lived and her heart was about to beat out of her chest. Marlow knew this plan was somewhat irrational and that she acted too fast, something she'd chided Scott for not long ago, but she still felt as though this was the right thing to do. So she walked up the driveway to the house and up the porch. Once she was at the door she halted. Marlow had no idea what to say to Riley. She didn't even know if Riley would remember her.

For a second she thought about calling the whole thing off. Just drive back to Beacon Hills, head down, ready to accept her punishment. But she had come too far to turn back now. She had to at least know if Riley wanted to talk. So finally, she picked up her hand and knocked on the door. Her heart began to race as she waited for someone to answer the door. She thought about home and hoped everyone was alright and that no more tragedies had happened. Marlow had turned off her phone to not cause any distractions.

A few seconds later someone finally opened the door. It was an older woman. She looked tired. Her blonde hair was pulled up into a lazy ponytail and there were bags under her eyes larger than Lydia's designer handbags. "Hello," Marlow greeted with a smile on her face. Though she didn't think it would do much. "I'm looking for a girl named Riley. I heard she lived here." she went on, leaving out the physical assault that might have gotten her in big trouble if she hadn't given the school staff a fake name.

The woman leaned on the doorframe, a frown forming on her face. "Where the hell did you hear that?" she asked, annoyance coating her voice. Marlow opened her mouth to give the woman one of her prepared answers. She heard something break inside and the woman waved her off. "Whatever. Riley doesn't live here anymore. Try the alleyways downtown." she went on as she started to close the door.

Marlow looked at her wide-eyed. Teenagers aren't supposed to live out on the streets. "Wait, what?" she asked. "Riley's sixteen. Sixteen-year-olds aren't supposed to live on the street." she went on, sounding harsher than she wanted. "Did you even try looking for her?"

The woman in the doorway sighed in annoyance and frustration. "Listen, kid, this isn't the first time Riley ran away. I have eight other foster kids in this house, I just don't have the time to bring her home just so she can run away again," she explained. Marlow opened her mouth to ask another question but the woman waved her off again. Something else inside broke. "Look in the alleyways. I gotta go! Goodbye." she continued. The woman closed the door before Marlow could get another word in.

Marlow sighed, looking at the closed door. She turned away from the house and walked back to her car. She had no idea what to do next. Probably would have to do what Riley's foster mom said and drive downtown to look for her. Marlow sat in her car, checking her phone. There were messages and missed calls from Stiles, her dad, and Mason. No surprise there. She turned the phone off before checking them, started her car, and took off for the downtown area.

* * *

It hadn't taken Marlow long before she finally found Riley. After driving around for half an hour and getting invited to motel rooms more than once, she found her sitting down on a blanket in one of the alleyways. Thunder rolled through the air and Marlow could tell it would start to rain soon. So Marlow quickened her pace and walked up to her old best friend.

Riley looked just as she had in her vision, only about ten years older and worn down. Her clothes were dirty and her hair looked like it hadn't been washed in weeks. Probably hadn't been. Marlow ignored the looks of the other people in the alley. She was aware that she looked out of place and they probably wanted her gone as soon as possible. Marlow had no time to stay long anyway. Finally, she arrived at the spot where Riley sat.

The other girl was chatting with some other people, all of them in different age groups from the look of it. The person sitting closest to Riley gave Marlow a disdainful look. He was an older gentleman. Scraggly beard, shorn white hair, and clad in tattered clothes. He narrowed his eyes at her. "There ain't no drugs to buy in this alley, young lady."

Marlow's eyes widened and she threw her hands up defensively. "That's not why I'm here, sir," she assured him. 

Finally, Riley turned away from her companions and looked up at Marlow. Marlow got a closer look now that she was finally in front of Riley. She looked like she hadn't slept in days, much like her foster mother. For a few seconds, an awkward silence hung in the air. There was no clear expression on Riley's face.

Then suddenly, the young girl jumped up from her blanket and engulfed Marlow in a hug. The young werecoyote was so taken aback, she almost stumbled over her own feet. Then finally, she hugged her old friend back tightly. She couldn't explain it, but after reading the Dread Doctor's book, lots of memories came flooding back to her with some time. Memories of playing with Riley and Mason. Having sleepovers, the first day of kindergarten. And their goodbye.

Riley pulled away from the hug and turned back to her friends. "Don't worry, Earl. I know this one," she assured the older man. He nodded. Riley turned back to Marlow. "What the hell are you doing here?" she asked, her tone ranging from excited to accusatory. Marlow opened her mouth to answer but was shut down by Riley's rambling. "I mean, I didn't think I'd ever see you again. I know I made you promise me you'd come looking for me but we were like six years old then. I didn't think you'd actually come."

Marlow bit down on her lip, trying to find the right explanation. "I'm so sorry for not making good on my promise. I can explain it to you," she said, looking around the alley. "But I think we might need to find someplace private for that. There's a lot that I wanna tell you."

Riley scrunched up her nose as if in thought. "Are you willing to buy me some food if I come with you?" she finally asked. Marlow nodded eagerly. She would do anything to reconnect with Riley. Riley bit the inside of her cheek and finally nodded. "Okay, sure," she told her. A smile crept up on Marlows face as she clapped her hands together in excitement. Riley raised a finger. "Just let me say goodbye to my friends real quick."

Marlow nodded and walked back to the alley entrance. She let out a relieved laugh. This entire thing could have turned into a disaster. Thank God it didn't. Marlow looked back and smiled as she watched Riley hug her friend's goodbye. When she was done, the young girl grabbed her backpack and rushed up to Marlow. "Alright, let's go." beamed Riley. Marlow smiled back at her.

She never thought Riley would be so nice to her after all these years of her not trying to contact her. She had a lot to explain and a lot to ask. The two walked to her car and got in. "Nice ride, Mar." Riley complimented.

Marlow smiled at her. She had saved up her allowances, Christmas money, and any other money she got for years to get herself a used car. Noah had paid for her license under the condition that she put together the money for a car. Marlow was just happy that she didn't have to depend on Stiles and the Jeep anymore. "Thanks," she said. The two got into the car and Marlow drove off, far away from the alley.

* * *

Marlow took another sip of her coffee. She had to load up on caffeine for the trip back. She couldn't help but feel like some bad things had gone down back home. Riley sat across from her, scarfing down the burger she ordered as if her life depended on it. Maybe it did.

Marlow had no idea when Riley had eaten the last time and she didn't want to ask. It seemed like none of her business and she didn't want to embarrass the other girl. "This is really good. Thank you." Riley said, ketchup smeared on the side of her face.

Marlow chuckled and handed her a napkin. "You have sauce, just like, all over your face." she chirped. Riley let out a snort that quickly turned into laughter. She took the napkin from Marlow and started wiping off the ketchup. "Order as much as you want. I have a lot to explain to you."

Riley put the dirty napkin on the edge of her plate and leaned back in her seat. "Yeah, I was wondering what exactly you came here for. I assume it's not because of a sudden need to visit me? Because that hasn't happened since I was taken away from Beacon Hills." she said. Marlow almost started feeling guilty but there was no snide in Riley's voice, no resentment or anger. She just said it matter-of-factly.

Marlow leaned forward, putting her elbows on the table and dropping her head on the back of her hands. "Yeah, that's the thing," she started. She looked around the restaurant. It was a little before noon, leading Marlow to believe the lunch rush wouldn't start for another hour or so. She just wanted to make sure no one was in earshot to hear. "Until a few days ago, I didn't even remember you. No one back home does. They only started remembering after my vision."

Marlow had explained most things to Riley in the car. Imagine her surprise when she found out that Riley indeed was a supernatural as well. A werecoyote-witch, according to herself. Marlow had never heard of a hybrid supernatural before the whole Chimera mess. For a second, Marlow may have thought Riley was one of them. But knowing that her parents were a werecoyote and witch respectively, that seemed unlikely. Riley raised her eyebrows. "That is quite odd."

Marlow leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "It is indeed," she told Riley. "And I'm just left to wonder why. Why does no one remember you?" she asked. Marlow still hadn't figured that part out. It seemed unlikely that everyone, including the adults in her life, would just forget Riley ever existed. It couldn't have been the Dread Doctors. They weren't around until recently. So Marlow was still stumped.

Riley took another bite of her burger, thinking about the situation as she chewed the bite she took. "It makes no sense to me either," she admitted after swallowing her food. "Because I remember all of you very clearly," she added. Marlow raised an eyebrow. "Mmmh," Riley hummed assuringly. "I remember you and your kind, but snarky soul. Mason and his ability to figure out anything, no matter how much didn't make sense to anyone else. Stiles and his sarcastic little ass. Scott, your mom, and dad."

There was a sting in Marlow's heart as she thought about her mom. She died a year after Riley left. Riley didn't know that. But now was no time to bring the mood down. "What I'm trying to say is, I never stopped thinking about all of you and Beacon Hills. I was hoping to see you again one day. My time in the foster care system was not the best part of my life. That's why constantly ran away before you ask." Riley told her. Marlow raised her arms defensively. She didn't come to fight or prod.

"I just came here to explain that to you. After I found out I had an old best friend who I didn't even remember existed, I just had to know what that was all about." Marlow explained. Riley nodded and motioned for her to go on as she finished her burger. Marlow took another sip of her coffee. "And I obviously to meet you. Or meet you again, whatever works," she said with a grin on her face. Riley grinned back. "And because I was hoping...well...how do I ask this without sounding insane?"

Riley took a sip of her water. "Out with it, Marlow! I'm always down for crazy ideas."

"Well, I was hoping that maybe you would come back with me to Beacon Hills. You know, to provide some back-up for us now that I know you're basically a double-powered badass." Marlow explained. She knew it sounded crazy. No matter how you framed the question, it just did. But after having met Riley again, it didn't seem too crazy to think that she might say yes.

Riley narrowed her eyes, weighing her options. It was either going with Marlow or being hauled back into her foster home. "What exactly do you need my help with again?" she asked matter-of-factly. "Apart from the...I think you said, Dead Doctors?"

"Dread Doctors." Marlow corrected. She sighed. "And apart from that, something is happening to me and my pack. We've never been this messy before and that's saying something, considering we're the most ragtag bunch of supernaturals you would ever encounter," she explained. Riley nodded. "I don't even know, Riley," she admitted. "At the beginning of this school year, everything was fine. Beacon Hills wasn't in any trouble, the pack was intact, Liam and I were going strong."

Riley raised her finger and pointed at Marlow. "Right, that mysterious boyfriend of yours."

"Ex-boyfriend." Marlow corrected, another pang going through her chest. "But yeah, him," she added. She hoped he was doing better after the whole ordeal the day before. Finally, she remembered that she still hadn't turned on her phone. She pulled it out, turned it on, and pulled up an old video of Liam and Mason goofing around. She turned the phone to show it to Riley.

Riley leaned forward and smiled at the video. "That's Liam? And that's Mason now?" she asked, watching as the boys fake wrestled each other. She chuckled at the scene.

Marlow smiled, thinking back to that day. Back when everything was still fine. "Yeah. They're usually not that stupid, I promise," she answered. She knitted her eyebrows together. "Well, kind of, anyway."

Riley chuckled. Marlow turned off the video. "I can't wait to meet them!" Riley told her, a smirk forming on her face.

Marlow looked back at her, eyes wide open. "So you're coming with me?" she asked. She had hoped Riley would come back home with her but wasn't sure if she actually would.

Riley's smile grew wider. She'd choose to go back home over staying in her current situation any day. "Yes, if you'll still have me."

Marlow leaned over the table, nearly knocking over their beverages. She engulfed Riley in an excited hug. "Oh my God, thank you so much!" she beamed. Riley laughed as they broke apart. Marlow sat down on her chair once more and checked her phone again. It was just about time to find out what had been going on in Beacon Hills.

Her smile quickly faded from her face upon reading Stiles and Mason's frenzied text's. Corey was dead. The Dread Doctors had gotten to him. Kira had left town. The Dread Doctors had messed with her as well. Her heart skipped a beat. She couldn't believe Corey was dead. Riley noticed her friend's expression change and gave her a worried glance. "Everything okay?"

Marlow shook her head. "Something bad happened. I think we better hit the road," she stated. Riley nodded. Marlow grabbed her wallet and put probably way too much money on the table. The girls exited the restaurant and made their way home.

* * *

By the time Marlow pulled into the Sheriff's station, it was dark outside. She turned off her car and dropped her head on the steering wheel with a sigh. Riley smiled at her. "Tired?" she asked empathetically. Her eyes were about to shut as well. Marlow laughed under her breath and hummed in agreement. She couldn't stop thinking about Corey and everything else that had happened.

She popped the driver's side door open and stepped out into the parking lot. It had started to rain heavily by the time they got back to Beacon Hills. Riley got out of the car, stretching her limbs after hours of driving. Marlow only stopped for gas once, instead choosing to hurry home. She didn't even mind the rain hitting her, only being happy to be out of the car. She threw the car door shut and leaned on the roof. "Shall we go in?" she asked Riley.

Marlow wasn't looking forward to facing her dad after skipping town for a day without telling him. But she'd have to see him sooner than later. Riley nodded and the two walked into the building. Marlow pushed past a couple of officers and walked towards her dad's office door. She raised her hand to knock at it, then halted. Her heart skipped a beat. Riley smiled at the scene and knocked for her instead. Marlow gave her a slightly embarrassed smile.

"Come in." they heard Noah say on the other side of the door. Marlow pushed the door handle down and swung the door open. She walked into the room, mumbling a quick greeting to her dad. Stiles was sitting in the office too. Noah looked up at his daughter, the look of anger on his face changing into relief pretty quickly. "Welcome back." he greeted. Marlow bit her lip. "We'll talk about how long you're getting grounded for later."

Marlow nodded. "Seems fair." she acknowledged. Riley walked into the office and closed the door. Stiles and Noah narrowed their eyes at her. Marlow wrapped her arm around Marlow and smiled at them. "This is Riley Stevens," she told the two. She raised her hands, noticing their confused stares. "I know, I know, you don't remember her. We'll figure out why that is once we beat the Dread Doctors."

Stiles narrowed his eyes at her. "Okay, but why did you bring her?" he asked. He turned to Riley. "No offense," he added. Riley waved him off with an entertained grin. "I'm just wondering how you even managed to bring her here without her parent's approval. And where she'll stay." Stiles added, narrowing his eyes as he thought about it.

Marlow raised her eyebrows, unsure if it was okay to tell them about Riley. She looked over at her friend. Riley opened her mouth but didn't say anything until a few seconds later. "Well, I know you don't remember this but my parents died in a car crash back in 2005. I got put into the foster care system and have been living in L.A. for the last ten years. I didn't like my time there, so I ran." she explained. Marlow looked back and forth between Riley and Noah.

Her dad leaned on his office desk with a sigh. "Well," he started. Marlow braced herself. She knew it had been a crazy idea from the start. "You can stay for a bit, but we're gonna have to call your foster parents at some point." he went on. Marlow let out a relieved sigh. She looked over at Riley. The other girl didn't look too happy but let it go for now.

"Thank you," Riley told him. Noah nodded at her, a smile forming on his face. She clapped her hands together. "Well, how about we get to it then?" she asked, then looked around the room with narrowed eyes. "What do we do anyway?"

Marlow stared at Stiles, her mouth falling open. "Well, we're gonna start with..." she started, trying to think of what to do next.

Stiles got off the couch. "Actually, I need to talk to Marlow for a second before we start with anything," he said. He looked at his sister and nodded towards the door. Marlow nodded at him, reassuringly squeezing Riley's arm before following her brother out of her father's office.

Stiles closed the door and pulled his sister aside. He looked around for a second, making sure no one was around to hear. Marlow's look urged her brother to go on. She didn't have time to stay long. She wanted to go talk to Mason as soon as possible. "So, we got a few problems. As you know, Kira left town and Corey died. Hayden is getting worse by the hour." he explained. Marlow sighed defeatedly. "And, well, Scott and I had a falling out, I guess," he added, a pained expression on his face.

Marlow narrowed her eyes at him. Stiles and Scott had been best friends forever. Marlow thought they would live together sooner than Stiles and Malia. She never thought that a fight between them would end their friendship. "What happened?"

Stiles' eyes darted around the office. "I have to tell you something." he started. He sighed. Marlow put her hand on his arm, urging him to go on. "You know how Donovan disappeared?" he asked. Marlow nodded. Of course. They all assumed the Dread Doctors had killed him. Stiles started fidgeting with his fingers. "I killed him," he admitted. Marlow's eyes widened. He raised his hands defensively. "Accidentally. He attacked me in front of the school and I ran into the library. He followed me and chased me up the banister. We fought, he fell and got stabbed by this rod thing, I don't know. I just want you to know that it was an accident."

Marlow looked at her brother. Finally, she realized why he'd been so different the previous few weeks. She didn't know what to think. It was a lot to take in. But this was also her brother. She had known him her entire life. She knew all of his quirks, his strengths, and his faults. He wasn't lying. She pulled him into a hug. "I believe you," she assured him. She knew her brother and if anyone else wanted to doubt him, she'd have some things to tell him.

"Thank you," Stiles told her with a smile. That smile quickly faded again. "Scott didn't though. That's why we thought. I have no idea what's going on with him. He seems to trust Theo more than me. I'm not sure what to do."

Marlow stared at him with narrowed eyes. Her qualms with Scott had started before she took off for Los Angeles and now they had reached a whole new level. Marlow clenched her fists and closed her eyes. She had to talk to Scott immediately but would need to calm down before doing so. "Where is he right now?"

"I think he's still at the clinic with Liam, Theo, and Hayden," Stiles answered.

Marlow nodded and walked off towards the door. "Take Riley home, please. Tell her I'll come back soon," she told her brother before he could interrupt her. She pushed past the station doors, trying to keep her anger contained. If Scott wanted to push her away, so be it. But accusing Stiles of killing Donovan after years of friendship? He'd taken it a step too far with that.

* * *

Marlow had called Scott from the car, telling him to meet her outside the animal clinic. She still hadn't crafted the perfect way to tell him off but something would come to her at the moment. The rain was still pouring down on the windshield when she climbed out of the driver's side door of her car. She walked up to the back door of the clinic. Scott was already waiting there. He looked impatient like he just wanted to get this over with.

Marlow shared his sentiment. She just wanted to give him a piece of her mind and get back to Riley. She pulled her jacket up over her head to shield herself from the rain and rushed up to Scott. "What is it, Marlow? I don't have much time," he asked impatiently.

Marlow dropped the jacket and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I won't take up much of your precious time. I just came here to tell you off real quick," she stated matter-of-factly. Scott raised his eyebrow. "I heard what happened with Stiles." she started. Scott opened his mouth to say something. She raised her hand to cut him off. "Save it." fumed Marlow. "Let me just tell it to you like it is, you suck at your job right now. I am pissed off!"

"It's like you don't even care for us anymore. I get it, Scott, you're under a lot of pressure. So are we. That doesn't make it okay for you to distrust us. To neglect us. To give me those disgusted looks. Yeah, I've noticed." she told him when he sighed. "Either way, I am completely done with you and your bullcrap."

She knew she would regret what she was about to do, but it had to be done. She couldn't even stand to be in the same room as Scott at the moment, let alone be in his pack. Scott raised his arms. "What are you saying, Marlow?"

Marlow let out a defeated sigh. "What I'm saying is, consider me not a part of your pack anymore," she told him. He stared at her, no clear emotion on his face. Marlow didn't know what to do next. The only thing she did know was that she was alone now.


	11. how not to save a life

Marlow dashed up the stairs and into her room. Riley was sitting on her swivel chair, looking at an old picture of her, Stiles, Noah, and Marlow's mom Claudia. She smiled at it absent-mindedly. She turned around to face Marlow, a sorrowful expression forming on her face. "When did she die?"

Marlow sighed and sat down on her bed. Riley turned to her in the chair, handing her back the picture. Marlow looked at it. She smiled upon remembering that day. It was one of her mom's last good days. They had spent it in the local zoo, which had been abandoned a few years later. "She died a year after you left," she told Riley. "Frontotemporal Dementia."

Riley shook her head. "Damn. That sucks," she commented. Marlow nodded. It wasn't pretty towards the end. Claudia couldn't even remember her own children a few days before she passed. After she passed, Marlow felt alone. That feeling was what prompted her to shut herself off from anyone. Better to keep everyone at arm's length than to lose them as well.

Only she wasn't alone. She had her dad and Stiles. Mason and Scott were great friends to her as well. Best friends. And now she didn't even know where she stood with either of them. She had chewed Scott out beyond belief and she wasn't there for Mason when Corey died. She sighed. "Yeah, it does."

Her best friend gave her a look. "So, what happened? Stiles only told me that you went to talk to Scott before the Jeep broke down and he pointed me in the direction of your house."

Marlow sighed defeatedly. "He made you walk here all alone?" she asked, an apologetic tone coating her voice.

Riley waved her off. "It was fine. I faded here," she told her matter-of-factly. Marlow narrowed her eyes at her in confusion. "Oh, it's like teleportation. One of my few witch powers."

"Oh," Marlow started. "That's so cool," she added, a laugh escaping her lips. It sounded off though, even to Marlow. She was still thinking about how she had talked to Scott. And now thoughts of Hayden crept into her head. The girl couldn't have been well.

Riley chuckled. "Yeah, I'd imagine your brother is still standing in the same spot he did an hour ago. And that his mouth is just hanging open." she laughed. Marlow smiled at her. She put the picture frame next to her on her bed. "So, what did happen?" she asked. Marlow sighed. Dropping onto her bed, she pulled her pillow over her head and let out a scream. Riley rolled over to her side in the chair. She pulled the pillow off Marlow's head and set it back on her bed. "That bad, huh?"

Marlow nodded. "I don't have a pack anymore. I am an idiot that left her pack. And I chewed out my brother's best friend. I don't think I'll be able to come back from this one." she explained. She let out a heavy sigh. "I mean, I've done a lot of things, had a lot of tantrums. But it has never been this bad before."

Riley raised an eyebrow. She leaned back in the chair and folded her arms together. "Something must have caused this." she started. "Something other than the Dread Doctors," she added. Marlow turned to her, a questioning look on her face. "What do they have to gain from breaking up your pack?" Riley asked. Marlow was silent. She couldn't answer that. "Did something else happen when they came to town? Was there anyone else who could have caused this?"

Marlow sat up with a start. She had been hard on her brother for weeks because he was so rude to Theo. But as per usual, he was right. Theo was the one other person who came to town when the Dread Doctors did. He had tried to insert himself into the pack ever since he arrived. Everything he had done up until this point was to sabotage the bond of the Pack. "Theo."

Riley narrowed her eyes. "The new kid?" she asked. Marlow nodded. "But you said you trusted him." Riley reminded her. Marlow rubbed her forehead. She did trust him. And it made no sense to her. If there was one similarity she shared with her brother, it was their distrustfulness of anyone new. But there she had been, trusting Theo almost instantly. "What do you wanna do, Marls?"

Marlow looked up at her friend. "You sure you wanna stay?" she asked. Riley gave her a questioning look. Marlow shrugged. "I brought you here to help me and my pack. Now I don't have one anymore. The pack isn't even intact at this point."

Riley leaned forward on the chair, looking Marlow in the eyes intently. "I came here to help you and your pack." she started. "You may think that you guys are broken to the point of no repair. But after the things you've told me about your relationship and what all of you have gone through together, I can tell you one thing: you will make it through this," she stated firmly. Riley took Marlow's hands in hers, squeezing them affirmingly. "I'm staying. And I am helping you through this. Everything is not lost just yet."

Marlow squeezed Riley's hands back. She was right. The pack had been through too much to just end it all there. They wouldn't break apart. Not because of the Dread Doctors. And definitely not because of Theo Raeken.

* * *

Marlow and Riley had been thinking of their next move the entire night and most of the day. They just didn't know what to do next. Theo seemed like a ticking time bomb, but he hadn't made a move yet. At least not an obvious one. Marlow didn't want to be labeled as the crazy one, in case Theo wasn't the culprit.

"All signs point to him, according to what you've told me," Riley said as they walked into the school. The previous night, something had wrecked the lower floor of the school, so Marlow and Riley assumed it was another Chimera. They stood in front of the school's sign, now haphazardly thrown into one of the hallways through the roof.

Marlow nodded. "Yeah, I know," she started, kneeling on the floor to inspect the damage. "But I don't want to make a fuss only for it to turn out that Theo didn't do anything. I'm already on thin ice with everyone. I've broken through the ice with Liam and Scott already." she went on. She sighed, straightening out as she walked over to Riley once more. "I just don't want to risk it."

Riley sighed and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Marlow began to wonder if she had copied that move from Riley when they were kids. "I get that." Riley started. The two started walking away from the damage, expecting the deputies that were guarding the hallway to come back any second. "But if Theo is dangerous, we have to warn your friends."

The two rounded the corner towards the library. The sun had already gone down and the super moon was starting to come out. Marlow rubbed her forehead. She could feel the effects of it. Normal moons were one thing for Marlow at this point, but a super moon was a whole other ordeal. And now she had no one to help her through it.

Riley put her hand on Marlow's arm, rubbing it softly. "You starting to feel it?" she asked. Marlow nodded. She looked over at Riley.

"You don't?" Marlow asked. She didn't know what the rules for hybrids like Riley were. Especially given the fact that she was one part witch. As far as Marlow knew, witches weren't affected by the moon.

The two walked up to the library. "Kind of," Riley stated. "Like, part of me feels it, but the other is keeping the effects of it at bay," she explained. Marlow nodded and looked into the library. She narrowed her eyes. Riley followed her gaze. "Everything okay?" she asked, not making out anything special.

"I smell Scott," Marlow said. Riley gave her a weirded-out look. Marlow sighed as she looked at her. "I just do," she added. Riley shrugged. She hadn't been in a pack since she was six years old, so she didn't have any experience with the whole bonding thing. Marlow walked up to the library to look for Scott. Suddenly, she was violently thrown back against a wall. She yelped in pain.

Riley rushed to her side, inspecting her body for visible wounds. She sighed in relief. "You're gonna be okay," she mumbled. She looked over at the door. There was a barrier of mountain ash in front of it. Suddenly, there was a loud crash and a thud. Then a roar. Riley ran over to the barrier and looked inside the library.

There, two boys were fighting each other. Riley recognized one of them as Scott. The other one looked like Liam. And Liam didn't look too happy. He jumped at Scott, trying to take another swing at him. "Hey!" Riley yelled, catching his attention for a second. Enough for Scott to fend him off.

The older boy looked up at her, eyes narrowed. "Thanks!"

Riley nodded at him. Her eyes opened wide as Liam got back up. "Look out!" she yelled, giving Scott just enough time to dodge another attack. Riley wanted to help but she wasn't sure how much the rules of mountain ash extended for her. She definitely couldn't walk past it. Suddenly, it dawned on her.

She couldn't walk through it, but fading was never part of that rule. Riley took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she concentrated on the inside of the room. In less than a second, she was at Scott and Liam's side, stunning both boys to the point where neither of them made a move. Riley flashed her blue eyes at Liam, running up to him with a roar.

She pushed him away. Scott looked past the two at Marlow. She had just gotten up from the floor and was now staring at the trio in full shift. She growled in their direction. Scott was unsure who it was meant for. His eyes widened as Theo walked up next to Marlow. "Get away from her!"

Marlow turned her attention to Theo, growling at him. Theo raised his hands with an amused chuckled. "I get it, I get it, you're mad at me," he told her. Marlow fought the feeling of the super moon as much as she could. Her hands were already bleeding from her digging her claws into them. "But," Theo went on. "I have a feeling you're not as mad at me as you are at Liam," he said. He turned to Scott with a smirk and leaned down. "So why don't we let the kids play?" he asked him, dusting some of the mountain ash away from the barrier.

"Theo, don't!" Scott yelled. Marlow forgot her anger over Theo and his betrayal and ran up to Liam and Riley. His betrayal had been worse and Marlow was about to show him just how much she had been holding back. Scott wrapped his arms around her before she could reach the other squabbling duo. "Please, this isn't you," he told her. Marlow growled, trying to free herself from his grip. "Don't let the moon take ahold of you!"

Marlow had tried, she really had. But the feeling was getting too strong. And it only amplified the hurt Liam had caused her. The anger. She pushed Scott off her with a roar and shoved Riley away from Liam. The werecoyote-witch fell to the floor with a thud. She looked up at Marlow. "Oh Liam," Marlow sang as the two circled each other. "You should have never gotten with Hayden!" she yelled, striking him across the face.

"Marlow, please! This isn't you! It's the super moon. Don't do this!" Riley yelled. She jumped up off the floor, ready to intervene if she had to.

Marlow chuckled. It was a distorted sound that sent a chill down Scott and Riley's spines. "I think I've cut Liam enough slack." Marlow started. "I would like to talk now, sweetie."

Liam rubbed the side of his face as he got up off the floor. "Maybe later. Scott and I have some things to talk about first," he said, looking past Marlow. Riley walked in front of Scott. Liam tilted his head. "That is if his new bodyguard will step to the side, of course."

Riley raised her hand, hitting it against her chest angrily. "Come at me, Liam!" she yelled daringly. Liam roared, running up to them. Scott tried to move past Riley. She grabbed his hand and raised the other. "Stay back!" she warned, flicking her hand in Liam's direction. The boy went flying into a nearby bookshelf. Scott stared at Riley, mouth wide-open. Riley shrugged with a smile. "I'm a werecoyote-witch."

"Thanks for that, Riles!" Marlow yelled. She jumped onto Liam, hitting him across the face once more. She raised her hand for another hit. He grabbed her wrist to stop the attack. "Let go!" she yelled. He roared at her. She roared back. "I gave you a chance! You could have chosen me!"

Liam pushed Marlow off of him, ready to run at her. Scott stepped in between the two. Liam focused his anger back on him. Riley tried to help him when she was grabbed by Theo. She struggled in his grip. "Let me go!"

He smirked at her. "You'd ruin it," he told her. "So I'm taking you on an adventure instead," he added. He struck her across the face. No one noticed Theo taking an unconscious Riley away from the library, too wrapped up in their own fights.

Liam jumped onto Scott. Marlow was unsure what he was planning to do. She wasn't sure if he would kill Scott. Either way, she wasn't done with him. She pulled Liam off of Scott and pinned him against a bookshelf. The two stared each other down. Marlow's breathing calmed down. She tried to fight off the homicidal feeling that bubbled up inside of her chest. Liam looked Marlow in the eyes. "I don't know what I ever saw in you."

Marlow let out a guttural scream, raising her hand to strike Liam once more. He grabbed her fist and twisted it. Marlow yelped in pain. Liam pushed her off of him and into the bookshelf behind them. Marlow let out a shallow breath, watching Liam attack Scott once more before she passed out.

* * *

"Roar!"

Marlow's eyes shot open. A roar broke the silence. She sat up with a start, trying to catch her breath. Her head was pounding. She brought her fingers to her forehead with a groan. Upon drawing back her hand, she could see that there was blood on her fingers. She slowly got up and limped over to where the noise was coming from.

There, Scott was lying on the floor in a pool of his blood. Mason and Melissa knelt next to him. "Oh my God!" Marlow gasped. She fell to the floor next to Mason.

He looked at her in shock. "What the hell happened to you?" he asked her. He put his hand on the back of her head, drawing back a bloody palm. "What did Theo do to you?"

Marlow shook her head. She could already feel the wound healing. "Liam did it. He shoved me into one of the bookshelves."

Mason's eyes opened wide. "What?!" he asked. "Are you serious? Why would he do that?"

Marlow sighed. "I hit him too. It was the super moon. It's like it took a hold of me." she explained. Embarrassment washed over her and she would have to apologize to Liam at some point. "What happened to you, Scott?"

Scott slowly sat up with a groan. Melissa steadied him. "Theo. He killed me."

Marlow stared at Scott in shock. She didn't think Theo would go this far. She was afraid Liam might have and glad she was stopped before she could. Marlow's eyes darted around the room, suddenly alarmed. "Where's Riley?"

Mason narrowed his eyes at her. He looked around the room. "She wasn't here when I arrived," he told her. Marlow got up off the floor and ran around the library. Riley had to be there somewhere. Mason ran after her.

Riley was nowhere in sight and Marlow was about to scream. She ran to the upstairs banister and looked down at Mason. "She's not here! Damnit!" she yelled angrily, slapping her hand on the railing. Marlow dashed down the stairs and ran up to Mason. Her breath came out in ragged heaps. "Theo must have taken her. She would never just leave!"

Mason raised his hands in a calming motion to stop Marlow from rambling. "Well, then we have to try and find her," he told her calmly. Marlow nodded eagerly. She looked over at Scott. She didn't want to leave him but also didn't know if they were even in the clear yet.

It didn't matter. She had to find Riley before Theo did something to her. Scott met her gaze and nodded. "Go! Find her," he told her. Marlow hesitated. "I'll be fine," he assured her. He pointed at the doorway. Marlow looked over and saw a scarf lying on the floor. She and Mason ran over to it.

"It's Riley's!" Marlow told Mason. "She was wearing it all day. She must have lost it in the struggle!" she yelled. Marlow held the scarf up to her nose to get Riley's scent. She wrapped her fist around it when she got a hit. "I think I got it. Let's go!"

Mason nodded eagerly. The two ran for the door. Marlow turned around to look at Scott once more. Melissa was helping him off the floor. He would be okay. Riley needed their help now. She caught up to Mason and they took off.

* * *

Marlow and Mason burst through the animal clinic's back door. Mason carried Riley in his arms. Scott was already waiting for them. "Put her on the gurney!" he demanded. Mason gently set Riley down on the gurney and stepped back. He clutched the back of his head, still in shock.

Marlow grabbed Riley's hand. "I'm gonna kill him!" she stated angrily. If her hurting Liam was an indication of how far she would go, then Theo wouldn't live for much longer. They had found Riley discarded in the parking lot behind the station. The station itself had been under attack but Marlow didn't have time to stay. Riley was hurt badly. She would heal but it was still terrifying seeing her laying there.

She was unresponsive. Mason had been frozen to the point where Marlow had to snap him out of it. Scott gave her a look. Marlow walked away from the bar, pacing up and down the room. "Well, you know I'm right!" she said. "He killed you, for christ's sake!" she added. She knew it was unnecessary to scream at Scott. He was aware Theo was dangerous but Marlow couldn't calm down.

Mason leaned against the wall. Marlow walked up to him, putting her hands on his back. "Hey, Mason," she started. He wasn't going to be any help in their situation and she didn't need him passing out. He turned to face her. "How about you go find Liam and see if he's okay?" she asked. He nodded and she gently pushed him towards the door.

He looked at them once more. Marlow nodded at him and he left. She turned back to Scott with a sigh. "How are you doing?"

Scott shook his head. "Not great. But I'll be fine," he assured her. Marlow shook her head. Somehow Theo had managed to break them all apart. She hadn't even checked in on any of the others all day. She rubbed her forehead.

Her phone started ringing. Marlow pulled it out of her pocket. It was Stiles calling. She hadn't heard from him since the previous night and started feeling even worse for not talking to anyone all day. She tapped on the screen to accept the call and held the phone up to her ear.

At first, she couldn't understand one word Stiles was saying until finally, he calmed down enough to relay the information to her. Her eyes widened. She dropped her hand and ended the call. Scott gave her a questioning look. "My dad's hurt."


	12. father

Marlow pushed past hospital staff and other civilians to get to Stiles. She left Riley with Scott, hoping she would be better by the time she got back. She had to fight the urge to cry. And she would need someone to stop her from killing Theo once her dad was okay. If he would be okay. No, he would be okay. He had to be.

She found her brother sitting in the waiting area. He looked over at her. There were tears in his eyes and Marlow was about to break down. But she didn't. She was the stoic one. It was the role she played best. So instead of crying, she sat down next to her brother and engulfed him in a hug.

The two pulled apart and she gave him a reassuring smile. "He'll be fine," she told him. Stiles sighed. Marlow grabbed him by the shoulders, catching her attention once more. "Hey! He will be fine."

Stiles finally nodded, even if he didn't look too convinced. He leaned back with a sigh. "I'm so tired of this," he said. Marlow nodded, grabbing his hand. She felt his sentiment. She was sick and tired of it all too. Her dad's being injured was the last straw for her. She would get Theo back for this, one way or another.

The siblings sat in silence for what seemed like hours, waiting on further news. Marlow kept thinking about her friends. About Riley and Mason. And Liam. Oh, Liam. She could never make up for the way she treated him. She hadn't heard from Malia and Lydia in a while and was getting worried about them.

She had tried calling and texting plenty of times but no one was getting back to her. Marlow couldn't leave. Not when she didn't know how her dad was doing. Stiles finally fell asleep at some point. A luxury that hadn't been afforded to Marlow in over two days. She kept thinking back to the things she had done with her family when she was little.

Losing her mom was already hard enough. If her dad died too, Marlow would never be happy again. Marlow looked at her phone once more. It had been a few hours and still no news from anyone. She started to regret leaving Riley and Scott behind. Both were injured and needed medical attention. Only Deaton was still MIA and she couldn't exactly bring them with her to the hospital when they would be healing soon anyway.

Finally, Melissa walked up to the duo. Marlow shook Stiles awake and Melissa knelt next to them. Stiles sat up with a start, leading Melissa to grab him by the shoulders to calm him down. Marlow's look urged her to go on. "He's okay," Melissa told them. Marlow let out a sigh of relief. "Dr. Geyer is stitching him up right now."

Stiles got off his chair. "Okay, I wanna see him."

Melissa held him back. "Okay, okay." she started. Stiles sat back down. "The anesthesia needs to wear off. It's gonna be at least two hours," she explained. Maybe in those two hours, Marlow could finally go look for the others.

"Okay, yeah, but everything's gonna be okay though, I mean, he's okay?" Stiles asked.

"Mmm. He's gonna be just fine." Melissa assured the two.

"Oh, thank God." Stiles brought out shakily. He grabbed Marlow's hand, squeezing it affirmingly. She closed her eyes, sighing out in relief. Her dad was okay. He would be okay.

* * *

More than two hours had passed, and Noah still hadn't woken up. Marlow stared at him through the hospital door as Stiles argued with Melissa and Dr. Geyer one hallway over. She just couldn't sit in the room anymore. The sound of the machines was driving her insane. Her dad was alive, but not waking up. Marlow didn't know what to at this point. She was tired.

She could hear footsteps approaching. Scott walked up next to her, looking at Noah in his hospital bed. "How's Riley?" Marlow asked. She looked over at Scott, immediately noticing the bloodstain on his shirt. Her eyes widened. "You haven't healed?"

Scott sighed. "I was dead. I think it's miracle I'm healing at all." he reminded her. She nodded. "And Riley's fine," he assured her. "She woke up. She's still at my house, waiting for you." he went on. Marlow sighed in relief. Riley would be okay. Her dad would be okay. She kept repeating it like a mantra. 

"How's your dad?"

Marlow looked over at him once more, then at the arguing trio. "They say he's stable. But he should have woken up by now. We're worried, to say the least." she told Scott. Suddenly, Stiles looked past Melissa and saw Scott standing next to Marlow. He threw open the door and before Marlow could intervene, he had already tackled Stiles to the floor. "Hey!" she yelled, trying to pry Stiles off his best friend. They were still best friends to Marlow, no matter what happened between them.

Stiles didn't even seem to hear her. She had never seen her brother so mad before. "Where were you?" Stiles asked Scott, grabbing him by the collar. "You trusted him. You believed him. Right, huh? So, where were you? Where the hell were you?"

Marlow had to put a stop to this. She understood Stiles' anger, but Scott wasn't the only one who had trusted Theo. Melissa, Dr. Geyer, and two security guards ran up to them, separating the two boys. Marlow grabbed her brother by the shoulders. "Hey, look at me!" she demanded. He focused on her. "I trusted Theo too. Would you like to beat me up next?"

Stiles calmed down in her grip. She could always bring him back to reality. "Okay, all right, all right," he said. Marlow let go of him and stood between the two boys as Dr. Geyer held down Stiles.

Scott tried catching his breath. "Your dad's not the only one who got hurt." he finally brought out. Marlow was on high alert. She looked at Scott.

"Oh, you'll heal," Stiles remarked. Marlow shushed him. She could do without her brother's antics during the worst fall out they had ever faced.

Scott closed his jacket to cover up the bloodstain on his shirt. "I'm not talking about me," he said. Dr. Geyer let go of Stiles now that he had sufficiently calmed down. The crowd dispersed and Scott explained to Marlow and Stiles that he and Parrish had brought Lydia to the hospital after Parrish had found her in the woods. "She's in a catatonic state. Her mom is with her right now."

Stiles took off almost instantly. Marlow let out a frustrated groan. She couldn't believe the things Theo had done. Her phone buzzed. Marlow grabbed it immediately. She was hoping for a message from Malia. She needed to know her friend was okay. She looked at her screen. It was Mason. He was with Liam. "I have to go," she told Scott.

Marlow didn't want to leave her dad. But he was at the hospital and she would find out when he woke up. Scott nodded and Marlow pushed past him. It would take a whole lot to face Liam again after everything. But she would have to see him sooner or later again. Now that the damage was done, she had to make amends.

* * *

The tension between Marlow and Liam was more than awkward. Neither of them had said a word the entire rest of the night. Shortly after sun-up, the trio walked into the hospital. Liam wanted to ask his dad about Hayden. Marlow's heart broke a little when she was finally informed that Hayden had died while she and Liam were fighting.

Liam found his dad. Marlow was unsure how he was going to play it. She was surprised when he straight up just asked Dr. Geyer whether or not more bodies had been brought into the hospital. "No, there have not been any other bodies brought in tonight, thank God." Dr. Geyer told them.

"No one named Hayden?" Liam asked.

Dr. Geyer stopped and turned back to the trio. "Mason, take him home. It's 6:00 in the morning. And get Marlow to bed. She looks like she's about to faint." he said. Marlow hadn't even thought about sleep. It seemed ludicrous at that point.

"Dad, you're sure there have been no other dead bodies?" Liam asked again.

"All three of you. Home. Now." Dr. Geyer demanded. He walked away from them.

Mason sighed. "We're not going home, are we?"

Liam shook his head. "No."

There was a beat of silence as Marlow waited for anyone to bring up their next move. Of course, Mason finally did. "Well, we both know where Hayden's body is. And if you want to find her, you're going to have to find the Nemeton."

Marlow sighed and shook her head at Mason. She had told him about the Nemeton extensively. And that no one could find it. "Last time we did that, it released a Dark Kitsune that nearly destroyed the whole town," she whispered to him.

But it was too late. Liam was already nodding eagerly and Marlow knew they wouldn't be able to stop him. "Okay. Let's find the Nemeton," he said. He turned around and rushed towards the exit.

Marlow turned to Mason with a sigh. He sighed as well. "I need to learn to shut up," he said. Marlow nodded at him. She had little to no hope that they would be able to find the Nemeton. Maybe Hayden's body was lost for good. It was sad to think about, but Marlow wasn't going to let another Void anyone surface from the depths of hell.

* * *

Marlow, Liam, and Mason stood in the library. Against all odds, Mason had figured out some type of plan on how to find the Nemeton without doing the whole ritual of death. Marlow looked around the destroyed room, trying to push away the uneasy feeling she had had ever since they'd gotten there.

Liam seemed to feel the same way. He stood in place, thinking about something. Marlow wasn't sure if he was thinking about Hayden or Scott. But something was nagging at him and she felt that right then was as good a time as ever to talk to him. Mason disappeared within the shelves, trying to find a book they needed. Marlow walked up to Liam. "Hey."

He looked over at her. She couldn't read the expression on his face and flashbacks of their break-up rushed back to her mind. "Hey," he finally said. "I'm sorry for what I did. You know, hurting you and insulting you. It wasn't okay."

Marlow sighed. "Thanks, but I definitely started it all," she said. Before he could intervene, she held up her hand to stop him. She needed to explain. "Breaking up with you was the worst decision I have ever made in my life and that's saying a lot, given that I usually act before thinking." she went on. There was the slightest hint of a smile on Liam's face and that was all that Marlow needed. "Also, you don't have to apologize for last night. It was Theo's fault. And the super moon."

Liam nodded as Mason walked up to them. "Hey, guys, I found it," he told them. He waved them over to a nearby table and opened the book. He flipped the pages until he found a certain map. "All right. This is the one." he started. He pointed at the page. "You see these. These are Ley Lines. They're mapped according to telluric currents."

"Stiles said that he and Lydia were looking at the intersections," Liam told him.

Mason looked over the page once more. Marlow narrowed her eyes. He might have actually found a way for them to access the Nemeton. She was quite impressed. "Probably..." he mumbled as the boys let their fingers glide over the lines. They stopped at one of the intersections. "This one."

"But they never found it. They kept going out there to look, but they said the Nemeton has to want to be found." Liam told him. Marlow could have told them that, but she wanted to keep the attitude inside for a while.

"It's a supernatural tree that has to want to be found in order for you to see it?" Mason asked. Marlow nodded at him. He started smiling excitedly. "That's awesome." he started. "We should just make a copy..."

Liam grabbed the page and ripped it from the book, pushing past his friends towards the exit. Mason stood still, his hands in the air. He looked at the empty book, unable to say anything else. Marlow narrowed her eyes, looking after Liam. "Is Liam okay?"

Mason closed the book and shrugged. "I honestly cannot tell you," he said. Marlow sighed and they took off after Liam.

* * *

The trio had spent half the day wandering through the woods. Marlow was wondering whether Mason's plan would work out. "This is it. There should be a clearing here. Maybe the clearing doesn't want to be found either." Mason spoke up. He sighed.

Liam knelt on the floor. "I couldn't save her," he said. Marlow bit her lip. This seemed like one of those times where silence was the better option for her.

Mason knelt next to him. "No one could," he assured Liam. "I was standing right there. Melissa did everything medically possible..." he went on. Hayden died while everyone else fought each other like children. Marlow clenched her fists. She couldn't promise her friends not to beat the life out of Theo once she saw him again.

"While I was trying to kill Scott," Liam said.

"You can't take all the blame. I mean, there was, like, 800 extenuating circumstances." Mason told him. Marlow felt like he was silently addressing her too.

"It wasn't just the moon."

Mason sighed. "Then it was losing Hayden. In fear, anger, and Theo took advantage of it."

"Or maybe it was just me," Liam said. Marlow knelt next to Liam, squeezing his shoulder affirmingly. She knew he would blame himself and she wouldn't let him. If they lost sight of who the real perpetrator was, then they would slip back into the same habits they'd been stuck in for weeks.

"Liam, you're a werewolf." Mason started. There was a beat of silence. Marlow was reminded of the night Mason found out about them. Things were so much simpler back then. "There was a full moon, a super moon. And you can't let yourself..." he broke off, looking around the woods. Mason got off. His eyes darted around the area.

Liam looked up at him. He got up. "What?"

Marlow narrowed her eyes at the scene. "Spit it out, Mase," she told him. She wiped the dirt off her jeans, following Mason's gaze. There was nothing.

"The Nemeton's a beacon for supernatural creatures, right?" Mason asked. Marlow and Liam nodded. "So what if it takes a supernatural creature to find it?"

"We're supernatural creatures and I can't find anything." Liam reminded Mason, pointing at Marlow and himself.

"But you've both been looking with your human eyes." Mason reminded them in turn. Marlow and Liam looked at each other. He nodded at her. She nodded back. She closed her eyes, letting her supernatural side take over. When she opened them again, her eyes were glowing their icy blue color.

She didn't even have to look around to see the stump right in front of her. She let out an excited gasp. Mason was a genius. "Mason..." Liam said next to her.

Their best friend looked around questioningly. "What? What?" he asked, looking around the clearing excitedly.

"Look," Liam told him, putting his arm around his shoulder.

"I don't see any..." Mason started. He grew quiet. Marlow smirked at him. She had never loved her best friend as much as she did at that moment. And that was saying a lot. Marlow finally noticed the bodies on the foot of the Nemeton. "Intense."

Liam rushed towards the Nemeton and Marlow excitedly hit Mason in the chest. "Mason, you absolute legend!" she told him. He smiled at her just as excitedly. Maybe more. The two ran after Liam and expected the stump. Hayden wasn't there. The trio dispersed and looked around the area. She wasn't anywhere. That seemed impossible, as Parrish had taken every last Chimera as soon as they died.

By the time they regrouped it had turned dark. Marlow assumed it would be another sleepless night for her. "There's only four here. That means four Chimeras are missing." Mason said. Marlow looked around. It was impossible to determine which bodies were missing, given that they didn't know what Parrish did with them once he got them to the Nemeton. They could have already been destroyed.

"I only care about one. Hayden's alive. She has to be." Liam stated determinately. Marlow narrowed her eyes at him. She didn't want to say anything. It seemed more like wishful thinking but if it kept Liam going then she would leave him to it for the time being.

"Okay, maybe you're right." Mason gave in. "Either way, we gotta tell someone about this. We get the cops down here and they can figure out who's dead, who's alive, and who's whatever." he went on. "Sound good?"

Suddenly, all three were struck with headlights pointing at them. A bunch of deputies with flashlights approached the trio. "You three. Stay right where you are." one of them instructed. Marlow narrowed her eyes, trying to make out their faces. One of them was Hayden's sister.

Marlow had no idea how they even found this place. It was hard enough for them. That was until someone stepped into the picture. Marlow's jaw dropped open. She wanted to let Liam live his fantasy for a bit, but it seemed as though that fantasy had actually come true.

Hayden walked up to the Nemeton, looking just as alive as she had the last time Marlow saw her. "That's it. That's where I found the bodies," she told the deputies. Liam stared at her, mouth wide open. "Four of them."

Marlow narrowed her eyes at the other girl. She knew about the missing bodies, probably because she was one of them. Marlow tried to wrap her mind around this entire situation. Hayden should be dead. It seemed unlikely for the Dread Doctors to let any of their experiments live, let alone bring them back from the dead. None of it made any sense. And now Marlow, Liam, and Mason would once again have to explain themselves to the Beacon Hills Police Department.

* * *

Marlow burst through the hospital doors. It took more than a lot of persuasion to be let go by the deputies. In the end, Marlow had to resort to something that disgusted her most of all. Begging. She talked Deputy Clark down until she let her go. But Marlow would do it again if it meant getting to see her father.

Stiles, Scott, and Malia had done their own bit of investigating and found the thing that was keeping Noah in peril. Marlow abruptly halted at the front desk. Melissa was standing behind the front desk, smiling at Chris Argent. Marlow let out an excited gasp and ran up to Chris, engulfing him in a hug. She didn't think he would ever come back to Beacon Hills. "Welcome back!"

They pulled apart and Chris smiled at her. "Hey, Marlow."

Marlow directed her attention towards Malia. She hadn't seen her in days and had gotten so worried that Theo got to her too. "And you," Marlow started, wrapping her arms around the other girl. Malia tightly squeezed back. Marlow could tell something was wrong with her. "I was so worried about you," she told Malia as they pulled apart.

Malia smiled at Marlow. "I'm fine," she assured her. Marlow narrowed her eyes at her. She wasn't and Marlow would get behind why that was, but first, she had to find her father. She excused herself and ran off to his room.

Sure, things were weird at the moment. Seriously weird. And possibly very dangerous. But her father was alive, Riley was alive and Hayden was somehow alive. Everyone she loved was fine for now and things were looking up at least a little. Marlow had to learn to take the little victories in recent years. She rounded the last corner towards her dad's room, her heart was racing.

She fiddled with her fingers and walked into the room. Noah was already up, watching Stiles sleep by his bedside. He looked up at his daughter and smiled. "Hey," he greeted. Marlow let out an overjoyed laugh and rushed to her father's bedside, hugging him as tight as she could without hurting him.

Stiles got up beside them. Noah looked at his children. "It's okay, you two. You still got me," he assured them. Marlow let out a slight sob. She didn't even want to, she had a part to play after all. But after days of uncertainty, she just couldn't hold it in anymore. They spent hours talking, just enjoying each other's company. And finally, after nearly being awake for three days, Marlow fell asleep in one of the armchairs.


	13. let's get the squad back together

Marlow had been awake for quite some time, waiting for Riley to wake up. Both of them had been holed up in her room for half a day. Marlow wanted to give Riley enough time to recover from her injuries and she had needed sleep bad. But now she had gotten it and it was time to get back to planning. Marlow needed to find Theo and beat his ass for the things he had done.

After that, she needed to get her friends back in one room and make them make up. Though, that one might be hard to accomplish. What with Liam almost having killed Scott, Malia distancing herself from her friends, Lydia stuck in Eichen House, Kira still being MIA, and Stiles stubbornly refusing to even talk to Scott. She let out a defeated sigh, sitting up in her bed.

It was time to device any kind of strategy, so she pulled the covers off herself and walked over to her closet. She pulled out a pair of jean shorts and a shirt, while also piling on a pair of jeans and a sweater for Riley. When she turned around to throw the clothes on her bed, Riley was already sitting up and stretching out her arms with a yawn. Marlow jumped back with a start, putting her heart on her chest. "Jesus!"

"Morning." Riley greeted with a smile. She got up off the floor and grabbed her pillow and blanket. She threw the pillow over Marlow's on the bed and neatly folded the blanket, hanging it over the swivel chair's backrest.

Marlow let out a little chuckle. "More like afternoon."

Riley smirked at her. "Those for me?" she asked, pointing at the extra set of clothes for herself. Marlow nodded in response and walked over to her vanity. "Can I take a shower?"

"Of course," Marlow told her, dragging her hairbrush through her hair. Riley gave her a thumbs up and ran for the bathroom. Marlow grabbed a couple of towels and rushed after her. "Wait, you're gonna need these," she said, throwing the towels at her.

Riley caught them with one hand, the other clutching something Marlow had hidden away in her drawer in the bathroom. Marlow's eyes widened. It wasn't anything bad, really, she had just decided against it after all the drama with Theo, the Dread Doctors, and the Chimera's. "What is this?"

Marlow let out an amused chuckle. She walked up to Riley and tried to grab the box out of her hand. Riley pulled her arm out of reach. "It's just freaking hair dye, Riles," Marlow said, jumping up to try and grab the box of hair dye. She looked stopped and looked at Riley, a sigh escaping her lips. "Laugh at me all you want. I was going through some things."

"I'm not laughing!" Riley told Marlow. "I'm just wondering why you didn't go through with it." she went on, holding the box next to Marlow's hair. "You would look amazing with blonde hair," she added. Marlow narrowed her eyes at her. "You know, I regularly dyed my foster sister's hair before all the running away started. So..."

Marlow gave her a bemused look. "So, what? You want to dye my hair?"

Riley shrugged, taking a few strands of Marlow's hair. She twirled them between her fingers with a watchful eye. "Maybe a little cut too," she told her. Marlow tilted her head, giving her best friend a look. But Riley didn't seem to be joking.

She let out a laugh. "Right now?"

Riley shrugged once more. "When is a better time than now?" she asked. Marlow wanted to argue but saw no use in it if Riley would get her way in the end. "So, you go prepare everything we need, while I take a much-needed shower," she ordered.

Marlow sighed once more, grabbed the box of hair dye from Riley's hand, and walked out of the bathroom. She closed the door and walked back into her room, preparing what they needed for their home-grown hair salon. Then she looked back at her make-shift murder board. It still looked as it did when she and Mason first made it.

She grabbed a red marker and crossed out Corey's and Josh's pictures as well, leaving Hayden's untouched for the time being. Then she added an old picture of Theo to the board. The shower turned on, giving Marlow a perfect opportunity to think.

She leaned against her desk, taking the whole thing in. None of it made any more sense than it had a few weeks prior. Even worse, apparently, Theo had resurrected three other Chimeras apart from Hayden somehow and neither she nor her friends had any idea who they were.

Marlow checked her phone for any messages. There were only a few from Mason and Stiles. No one else had gotten back her. She sighed. She had to find a way to reunite her friends before it was too late.

* * *

Marlow and Riley got out of her car and walked up to Scott's front door. Marlow checked her hair with her compact mirror for the tenth time after they had gotten done with it. It was a bit shorter and blonde. Marlow had always been a brunette so that change really threw her for a loop. She closed the mirror and put it in her pocket, trying to shake off her irrelevant thoughts.

"Calm down, you look crazy amazing," Riley assured her. Marlow sighed. She didn't hate the new look, it just made her worry too much about things that didn't matter. Riley raised her hands to knock on the front door.

Marlow grabbed her arm to prevent her from doing it. "Wait! I'm scared," she admitted. Riley raised an eyebrow. "It's just. I was rude to him and just because we talked nicely at the hospital, doesn't mean he's not mad at me," she explained. Riley sighed and knocked on the door. Marlow braced herself.

The door opened on its own. Scott must have forgotten to lock it during the whole mess of a situation they were in. Marlow and Riley looked at each other, then walked inside. Riley closed the door a little too loudly, making Marlow close her eyes with a sigh. "Mom?" they heard Scott yell from upstairs. The girls walked upstairs to Scott's room.

A little ball of red yarn rolled to their feet. Marlow picked it up, walking inside to hand it back to Scott. "I think this is yours," she told him with a light smile.

Scott looked up at her. A smile grew on his face as he grabbed the yarn from her hand. "I like your hair. It's pretty."

Marlow chuckled, putting her hand to the side of her head. "Thanks," she said, looking past him. He had attempted to build his own murder board, the contents of which were strewn around the floor. "What happened?"

Scott sighed, following her gaze. He threw his arms up. "I'm not as good at this as your brother," he told her. Marlow nodded. Scott looked at her intently. "Are you coming back?"

"Was I ever really gone?" Marlow asked. Scott smirked at her. "I'm really sorry for the things I said."

"It's fine. I needed to hear it from someone."

Marlow bit down on her lip. She had never wanted it to get this far between any of them. "Well, still, thank you for letting me come back," she told him. He nodded, then looked past her and at Riley. "Oh, yeah," Marlow started. She didn't know how far they had gotten with the introductions. "This is Riley Stevens. She is a werecoyote-witch. My old friend. And we all forgot her, for some unknown reason."

Scott and Riley shook his hands. "Nice to see you again," Scott told Riley. She smiled at him. "And, thanks, for keeping Liam at bay for at least a bit."

"Of course," Riley told him with a smile. She was clearly intent on helping someone out when they needed it and it made Marlow believe more than anything that she would fit in well with the pack.

"Riley was thinking of staying." Marlow started. She waved her hands around suggestively. "So, maybe..."

"She can help us," Scott told Marlow. An amused smile crossed his face as he watched the girls embrace excitedly. "I just have to ask." he went on, turning to Riley. The girls broke apart. "You're a foster kid, right?" he asked. Riley nodded. Marlow slapped herself internally. She still hadn't come up with a plausible way to keep Riley in Beacon Hills. "But you don't want to go back?"

Riley bit her lip. There was a beat of silence. "I'd prefer not to." she finally said. Marlow looked back and forth between the two, waiting for someone to say something.

Scott nodded. "Well," he started. He was silent for a second. Marlow's look beckoned him to go on. "Hopefully we can find a way to keep you here. Because we could use someone like you in our pack." he went on. Marlow smiled at him. Riley engulfed him in a hug.

Marlow jumped up and down excitedly, clapping her hands together. "Guys! This could work. We can get everyone back together. We just have to start somewhere!" she exclaimed.

Riley raised her arms. "Well, who do we start with?"

Scott and Marlow looked at each other. He raised his eyebrow. She opened her mouth to answer. Most of everyone was pretty much unavailable. Marlow would not force Scott to talk to Liam until the situation between them calmed down and Stiles was seemingly a bust too. At least for the time being. "I could check in with Liam and Mason. If that's okay."

Scott bit the inside of his cheek then nodded. "Yeah, that's a good idea," he said. He looked at Riley. "We could go talk to Malia. She's really the only one I can get a hold of right now."

Riley nodded eagerly. "Sure."

Marlow clapped her hands together. It was a plan. Well, it was a start. But they would have to start somewhere. So they left the messy murder board behind and rushed out of the house. Marlow watched as Riley and Scott took off on his bike. She then started her car and drove off to school, hoping to finally leave the awkward tension between her and Liam behind.

* * *

Marlow walked into the school building. Of course, it was still destroyed. The school staff had asked students to volunteer with the library clean-up. Surprisingly, a lot of them did show up. Liam and Mason were standing in the hallway, quietly discussing something. Marlow walked up to them.

She tapped Mason on the shoulder. The boys halted their conversation and turned to her. "Hey." she smiled at them. They both looked like they were miles away from her. She narrowed her eyes at them. "What?"

"Your hair." Mason looked at it intently. Marlow instinctively went and touched it. She was so wrapped up in her mission, she completely forgot about the change. She looked to the floor with an embarrassed smile. Neither of the boys said anything.

"It looks great." Liam finally said. Mason nodded. She looked up and smiled at them. A genuine smile.

She brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Thanks."

"How's your dad? And Riley?" Mason asked.

"My dad's getting better. And Riley is already up and running with Scott."

Mason nodded. Liam looked to the ground. Marlow bit her lip. Still a sour topic for sure. She clapped her hands together. "So," she started, looking to change the topic. "What are your guy's plans?"

Mason looked around, trying to see if anyone was within earshot. But there weren't any students around. Still, he leaned closer towards Marlow. "We need to find out who else in Theo's pack."

Marlow narrowed her eyes at him. Theo's pack? How long had she been asleep? "Who else?" she asked, looking back and forth between the boys as she awaited an answer.

They looked at each other, then turned back to Marlow. "Well, I went to the club looking for Hayden, and there's Josh. Standing there. Completely alive. Just like Hayden. Because of Theo. Theo brought them both back." Liam explained. Marlow nodded, trying to take it all in.

"That's what he's doing. He's, he's building a pack. His own pack of dead Chimeras." Mason stated. Marlow began thinking. He already had at least four members in his pack. Hayden and Josh among them.

"They both looked pretty alive to me. But they're not the same. There was something about Hayden. There's something wrong about her." Liam went on.

Marlow could only imagine. Dying couldn't have been good for anyone. Especially not if the method of resurrection is a teenager with no knowledge of what he's doing. "So, Hayden is number one. Josh number two." She counted them off on her fingers, pacing up and down the hallway. "Then who are number three and four?"

Mason sighed, then shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted. Marlow knew it pained him. Mason liked to know what was going on always. He needed facts, not probabilities. "But maybe that's what dying does to you." he went on. "What if it, what if it like darkens your soul. What if they're all evil now?"

The doors swung open once more. The trio turned around, startled at the student noise. Corey walked in with a warm smile on his face. Marlow stared at him, eyes wide open. She looked back at the boys. "Number three," she whispered. They nodded.

"Hey, guys! Are you volunteering for the library clean-up, too?" Corey asked, walking up to them.

They all shared a look, trying not to act as insane as they probably looked. "Yeah." they all stammered over one another, nodding clumsily.

* * *

Marlow and Liam waved Mason off as walked over to Corey, a stack of books in his hand and an unsure look on his face. Marlow gave him an additional thumbs-up. She believed in him. Mason looked a little panicked though. He walked up to Corey. The other boy smiled at him. Marlow and Liam focused their hearing on the scene. "So... You're alive."

"Yeah," Corey said. Liam buried his head in his hands, leaning onto the book cart they were standing by. Marlow sighed in defeat. She couldn't be mad at Mason though. It was a rather extraordinary situation.

Mason turned back to them, looking for guidance. Marlow simply nodded at him. He could do this. "That must have been pretty difficult to explain to your parents."

"Not really. They didn't notice me much before that. I think they're just glad 'cause they think they can sue the hospital now." Corey explained. Marlow smiled at him sadly. It couldn't have been easy to go through life without people who care for you.

"They gotta be happy you're alive, though?" Mason asked him.

"Are you?" Corey asked. Marlow couldn't help but wish they did get together. It seemed unlikely, but a girl could dream.

"Me?" Mason asked, trying to look for an answer. "Yeah, I'm..." he started. "Alive is definitely better than dead. You know, much better." he went on. Marlow bit down on her lip. She believed in Mason, but he might just tank the whole thing.

"You have no idea what to say to me, do you?" Corey asked, flashing him an amused smile.

"Not really, no," Mason admitted, a chuckle escaping his lips.

"Can I ask you a question then?" Corey asked. Mason simply nodded. "What are you doing Saturday night?" he asked. Marlow and Liam looked at each other, eyes wide.

Marlow raised her hands. "That's good, right?"

Liam shrugged. "I guess. I just..." he started. "I don't trust him all that much. Not if he hangs around Theo."

Marlow raised her eyebrow, cocking out her hip. She resented the insinuation. Corey hadn't changed one bit. "Oh, so you don't trust Hayden anymore either?"

Liam opened his mouth to answer, then sighed. He gave her a look. "I thought we'd moved past this."

Marlow sighed. She wanted to be the bigger person. She had broken up with Liam after all. But that didn't mean she didn't still regret it. Maybe she just didn't want to be bombarded with their love every day. "I need to make a call."

She walked away from Liam without another word and walked out into the hallway. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and called Scott. "Hey," she greeted when he answered. "Did you get Malia?"

"She said no," Scott told her. Marlow sighed. She knew Malia was pulling away. But that couldn't happen. "But..." Scott went on.

Marlow narrowed her eyes. "Hey Mar!" she suddenly heard her brother yell.

A smile formed on her face as she shook her head. "How?"

"He came to my place on his own," Scott explained. Marlow let out a chuckle. "So, any progress over there?"

"Not with Liam, no." she sighed. "But, definitely with Theo and his pack."

"Pack?" Stiles chimed in.

Marlow nodded even though they couldn't see her over the phone. "Yeah, I have a lot to explain to you," she said. "Where are you guys?"

* * *

Marlow snuck inside the telephone operating building where one of the workers had been attacked the previous night. Scott, Stiles, and Riley had been up to something in there. Marlow had a bad feeling as soon as she entered the place. Scott had told her that they'd specifically wait for her. It couldn't have been anything could.

There sounds of a fight in the distance. Marlow flashed her blue eyes and kicked into high gear. There was a nearby hole in the ground. Marlow looked down and saw someone standing right next to a ladder. Normally, Marlow would have gone for a stealth attack, but she didn't know how long the fight had gone on.

So she jumped down the hole, fangs, and claws out, onto the back of the stranger. She struggled to stay on her back. Once the other girl had flung her against the wall, Marlow could finally make out who it was. Tracy. "Number four."

She rubbed the back of her head, sitting up with a groan as Tracy went for Scott. The Alpha simply grabbed her wrist and dug her claws into an oncoming Josh. Josh was thrown right next to Stiles, who was already on the floor, presumably paralyzed by Tracy. Riley was lying next to the boys, also paralyzed. Scott growled at an empty spot on the wall.

Only it wasn't empty, as Marlow should have realized as soon as Scott started growling. Corey became visible once more, a look of pure terror on his face. "Hey, Corey!" Marlow greeted with a wave. The boy faintly smiled at her.

"Priorities, Marlow." Stiles reminded her. She waved him off.

"Okay!" Theo yelled, stepping out of the shadows for, what Marlow could only assume, dramatic effect. "Maybe they're not ready to take on an Alpha." he went on. "Especially one that can smell fear," he added, giving Corey an accusatory look.

"He's got fangs." Corey stammered defensively.

Theo looked at Marlow and Riley on the ground. He shrugged. "That doesn't mean they can't take on a beta werecoyote and an omega...I think you said werecoyote-witch?" he asked Riley. The young woman let out a growl.

"What did you do?" Scott asked, looking at the three revived Chimera's.

"I found some new friends. I don't take rejection well." Theo explained as Corey and Tracy carried Josh away.

Stiles looked up at Theo. "Hey, Theo!"

"Stiles." Theo simply said. He looked down at the ground. Stiles' flashlight was illuminating a word Marlow couldn't make out from her point of view. Theo stepped on it, destroying the concrete and the word. "You're going to leave here thinking that you need to worry about me. But you're wrong. We're actually back on the same side."

Marlow scoffed. She jumped up off the floor and dashed towards Theo. Scott held her back before she could attack him. She growled. "Traitor!" she yelled at Scott. He gave her a look. She sighed but stood down nevertheless.

Theo chuckled at the scene. Marlow wanted to wipe that grin off his face. "I know we're gonna have to sort some things out eventually," he told her. She couldn't wait for that day to come. "But I'm serious. Because that thing..." he went on, pointing at the ceiling. Marlow still had no clue what they were talking about. "That's what we need to worry about. Your pack and mine."

Marlow shook her head, looking at the four of them. They were no pack. They were a maniac and four terrified kids, standing behind him, pretending like they were okay with everything that was going on. "We're gonna go back to school and pretend like we're normal teenagers, but at night, we're going to be fighting for our lives." Theo went on.

"What is it?" Scott asked him.

"It's not a Chimera," Theo replied.

"But it's just a kid underneath. Someone like us." Scott said.

"Not anymore," Theo told him.

He exited the building, his minions following him outside. Scott sat Stiles up against the wall. "He knew what it meant and I can't remember the words," he said, kneeling next to Stiles.

"Damnatio Memoriae," Stiles said. Marlow sat Riley against the wall next to Stiles. Scott steadied the girl. "It means the condemnation of memory." he went on. Marlow narrowed her eyes at him. "I think it also means that whatever the Dread Doctors created, whatever this last Chimera really is, it's not something new. It's something old. Really old."

"So they didn't create a new creature," Scott said.

"They resurrected one," Stiles added.

Marlow looked back and forth between the two. Something had to be done. She sighed. "We need to reassemble our pack."

Scott nodded. He drew a circle in the sand, then turned to Stiles. "We need help. If Theo's got his own pack now then we need ours," he told him. "We have to get the others back."

Stiles gave Scott a questioning look. Marlow was glad he'd at least come around on Scott. Getting the girls and Liam back would be much harder. "The others? You mean Kira who's currently battling a homicidal fox spirit inside of her, Malia who isn't even speaking to either one of us, Lydia who's stuck in Eichen House, and Liam who almost killed you?"

Riley sighed, shifting next to Stiles to sit up straighter. "Kind of old news," she said, looking at the others. She turned to Scott. "But he's got a point."

"Also known as our best friends." Scott reminded them. Riley gave him a look. "You'll learn to like them once you meet all of them," he told her. "And before you ask. Yes, I do consider you a part of our pack. Marlow's friends are our friends."

Riley smiled at Scott faintly. Marlow didn't even know if Riley truly had anyone back home.

"Okay, how?" Stiles finally asked.

"One by one," Scott told him, nodding at the circle on the floor.

"You're not seriously going to make me do it?" Stiles asked.

"You're part of the pack, right?" Scott asked Stiles.

"Okay," Stiles said. Sighing, as he drew a bigger circle around the small one.

Scott looked at the girls. "Marlow? Riley? You in?"

Marlow smirked at Scott. Of course, she was in. It was the one thing she had wanted for days. She put one hand on the circle, the other over her heart. Scott smiled at her. Riley nodded eagerly. "As long as I get to stay here, hell yeah!"

Scott helped Stiles off the floor, steadying him as the Kanima venom wore off. Marlow did the same for Riley. "We need to find Kira," Scott told them.

"I still hate that tattoo," Stiles said.

"I know," Scott told him.

* * *

Marlow and Riley got out of her car as Stiles and Scott jumped out of the Jeep. "Sorry, guys, we just need to get a few things for our dad," Stiles told Scott and Riley as they walked up to the station. Stiles stopped at the door, narrowing his eyes at Marlow. "I like your hair," he finally said. Marlow chuckled as she opened the door.

Riley's scarf around her neck got snagged on a loose nail by the door. "Crap!" she complained, trying to pull it off. The others looked at her. She waved them off. "Go ahead, I'll be right in."

They nodded at her and walked through the door. Parrish sat at his desk, going over something on his computer. "Hey, guys." he greeted the trio as they walked to Noah's office. "How's your dad doing?"

Marlow smiled at him. "He's a lot better. Thanks for asking."

The door opened once more and Marlow heard Riley walk in. The werecoyote-witch stopped dead in her tracks when she made eye contact with Parrish. He looked back at her. Both of them stared at each other in silence. "Riley?" Parrish finally asked.

"Uncle Jordan?"


	14. kira

Marlow sat next to Scott, watching Stiles aggressively throw the door to the McCall house shut. She cringed at the loud noise. "Uncle Jordan?!"

Scott waved his hands in a calming motion. "Careful, Stiles."

Stiles waved him off and plopped himself on the couch with a sigh. "How about you just go ahead and explain this?" Marlow asked Riley and Parrish.

The two of them were still just as shocked as the others, if not more. Neither of them had said a word. Not even as Stiles shoved them out of the station and into Marlow's car. Riley shifted in her seat. Her eyes were wide-open, yet slightly narrowed. It was as if she wanted to say something but couldn't figure out what. "Well, you already know my entire life's history." she finally started. "And as far as I knew, my uncle died in the war."

She looked over at Parrish. He shook his head. "No." he firmly stated. "I was in an explosion but I lived. And then I moved here." he went on, turning back to Marlow, Scott, and Stiles on the couch. "As you all know."

Marlow nodded at him. As far as they knew, he had only moved to Beacon Hills when she was in eighth grade. But then it dawned on her. "Oh my God," she said. The others looked at her, their looks beckoning her to go on. Marlow turned to Parrish. "You were the teenager in my vision," she stated. "The one that was with Riley when she left town."

"So you must have lived here way before last year," Stiles spoke up. They all looked at him. "Which ties into the fact that none of us remember Riley, which is still bonkers to me, by the way." he went on, looking at Riley as if she had something to do with it. Riley ignored his looks. "And you don't remember her either. I think," he added, a crease forming on his forehead as he thought the statement over.

"But I do remember her. She's my niece after all." Parrish reminded them. Marlow took a deep breath, shaking her head. The entire situation was a whole new thing to get used to. "But as far as I always knew, she died in the car crash that killed my sister and brother-in-law."

Riley narrowed her eyes at him. "But I didn't. I was told Grandma couldn't take care of me because she was sick and had her hands full with you. I was under the impression that you would take me in as soon as you were eighteen but I never heard from you. Then I was told you died."

Marlow raised her hands in a calming motion. She needed to bring order to the room before a heated discussion broke out. "Alright, alright," she started. She turned to the boys, then back to Riley and Parrish. "How about Parrish goes home and Riley goes with him so that they can sort this out."

Riley and Parrish looked at each other. He finally nodded. "I think that's a good idea."

Riley sighed. "Okay, fine," she said. She turned to Marlow. "I'll pick my stuff up from your place when the time comes, alright?"

Marlow nodded at her. "Of course."

Riley and Parrish got up and walked towards the door. Marlow followed them, stopping Riley before she could leave the house. "Hey," she said. Riley looked at her. She wasn't exactly happy with the whole thing, Marlow could tell. "I mean, he's alive. And he's here now. You have a living relative." she told her. Riley bit her lip. "And we'll figure out the rest of this when things have calmed down, especially the whole memory wipe thing."

She squeezed her best friend's arm reassuringly. "Just try and talk this out with him. Best case scenario, you have someone to stay with and you never have to go back into foster care."

Riley faintly smiled at her. She turned around and walked out the door. Marlow closed it with a sigh. She walked back into Scott's living room. He and Stiles were already talking again. "So, what's the plan for getting back Kira?"

The boys turned to her, mouths hanging. "Uhm," Scott spoke up.

"Well, Mr. Yukimura has given us a rough outline of where Kira and Noshiko are. So we will be going there and you will be going to school." Stiles explained.

Marlow's mouth fell open. She raised her hands. "I wanna help!" she demanded. The boys gave her a look. "I can help!"

Stiles put his hands on his sister's shoulders. "We know you can help, Mar. We do," he assured her. Marlow calmed down in his grip. "But we need someone to stay here so dad doesn't get suspicious."

"What's the point? He already knows about us."

"Remember when we went to Mexico and you forcefully followed us there?" he asked. Marlow rolled her eyes. "We got grounded for the entire summer for that, alright? And I'm not going through that again."

Marlow growled under her breath, shrugging Stiles' hands off her shoulders. Just because he was afraid of a grounding, she couldn't go and help one of her best friends. "Fine." she glowered.

* * *

Marlow walked into school the next day. She hadn't heard from Scott and Stiles in hours and could only hope they would be successful in their mission. Riley hadn't reported back either, which honestly worried Marlow more. She saw Liam and Mason walking down the hallway, so she picked up her pace and walked up behind them. "Morning boys." she greeted with a smile. "What's our first period again?"

Mason laughed lightly. "Biology."

Marlow sighed. "With the Dragon?" she asked. Mason nodded. "I hate it," she complained.

"You can hate it all you want but you better go there and get it together. You know what happens when you don't get a passing grade in this course."

Marlow groaned in annoyance. She didn't need to be reminded. Another close-call, another year being scared she'll get held back. But how could she possibly focus on school when her mind was only on Kira and Riley. "I know."

"Also, I can't believe I had to find out that Parrish is Riley's uncle through her and not you. Usually, you're the first to gossip with me." Mason told her.

Marlow stopped in her tracks, putting her arm in front of Mason's chest to stop him from walking. "She's talking to you?"

Mason sighed. "No, she's not. Not really. I just sent her a text last night to check in and she told me. I haven't heard from her since then."

The speakers above them started crackling. The sudden loud noise made Marlow cringe. "Attention all students. Mr. O'Quinn's classes are canceled for today. If anyone knows his whereabouts, please let the office know immediately."

Marlow narrowed her eyes at the announcement. A teacher randomly going missing? "That doesn't sound too ominous," Mason stated sarcastically as if reading her mind. But she couldn't focus on that. Her mind was still only with Riley and Kira.

She saw Liam's gaze fixed on something up ahead. She looked ahead and saw Theo and Hayden talking by her locker. She could practically feel Liam's anger radiating off him. "You said Scott told you not to do anything," Mason told him.

"I know," Liam growled, looking ahead at the pair. Theo looked over at them and started smirking. Marlow could feel her anger rising as well but refused to give in to Theo's plans. She wouldn't get herself in trouble just for the chance of beating Theo's ass right at that moment.

"Liam, you said you weren't gonna get involved." Mason reminded his best friend.

"I know."

"Liam, don't get involved," Mason stated firmly. Marlow had calmed herself down significantly as Theo and Hayden took off down the hallway.

She turned to Liam, blocking his view of the duo. "Hey," she said, snapping in his face. "I know this doesn't pack as much of a punch as it did back at your first scrimmage, but if you get angry, just look over at me and think calming thoughts."

Liam nodded at her. The bell rang once more. "Thanks," he told her as they took off for class. Marlow sighed. It would be a long day.

* * *

In the classroom, Marlow picked the first vacant spot she could find and buried her head into her book. She just wanted this day to end quickly. Trying to focus on school was one thing, but trying to keep Liam from ripping Theo in half every time he talked to Hayden was a whole other level of suck. She had barely worked through her issues with Hayden, which is to say not at all, she didn't want to continuously worry about her too.

Everyone else had taken their seats and Mrs. Finch started the lesson. Marlow never particularly liked Mrs. Finch, hence the nickname she'd picked out for her. She was very focused on hammering the day's lesson into her student's heads, no matter how hard they may be struggling with it. "Co-dominance, a relationship among alleles where both alleles contribute to the phenotype of the heterozygote." Mrs. Finch said.

Marlow raised her eyebrow. She already couldn't keep up, which was kind of embarrassing. "Quite a mouthful, I know, but it's exactly what we'll be learning in today's lab." Mrs. Finch went on. "Students in the first and third row, look behind you. These are your partners."

Marlow looked around. Liam and Hayden would have to partner up. He looked past Hayden, giving Marlow a pleading look. She gave him a reassuring nod. He sighed but walked over to Hayden nonetheless. Marlow watched, chuckling, as Mason pulled the girl that sat behind Corey away by her chair and sat down in her place. Corey smirked at the antics and Marlow once again thought to herself that he couldn't have turned evil as Mason and Liam thought. She sat in the back row, her eyes widening as she saw who her partner was. "Greenberg?"

* * *

Having to partner up with Greenberg was a whole new situation Marlow wasn't prepared for. He worked adequately enough, but she'd had to quietly snap at him several times already. No wonder he'd been held back again. She tried to focus on the riddle Mrs. Finch had handed out but simply couldn't seem to take her mind off her friends. "Greenberg, focus!" she whispered harshly, lightly hitting him in the arm.

Mason and Corey seemed to be having fun working together, Liam and Hayden on the other hand...not so much. Marlow could hear them arguing but didn't want to eavesdrop. If Liam got anything important out of Hayden, he'd tell her and Mason. She rubbed her eyes, releasing a quiet sigh. Time seemed to be dragging on immeasurably. And this was only their first class.

She checked her phone discreetly. Still no new messages from Stiles or Scott. But Riley had finally gotten back to her. Marlow let out a quiet sigh of relief. Riley had texted her that she was fine and was already in the process of moving her stuff into a spare room at Parrish's place. Marlow slipped her phone back in her pocket and focused back on the riddle.

Once she and Greenberg finally got it done, the bell ringing wasn't far away. Marlow quickly gathered her things and dashed out of the classroom. If she just kept her head down and focused on the rest of her classes, the day would pass by fast and she could get out of there and meet with Riley.

* * *

Marlow paced up and down her room. Scott and Stiles had been gone a day and a half, still no news. Riley sat on her swivel chair, packing up the rest of her stuff. "So, you're moving in with Parrish?" she asked her best friend. She was happy for Riley but it was still weird to think that Parrish was her uncle.

Riley nodded. "Yeah," she started. She looked up at Marlow with a chuckle. "I know it's weird," she added. She sighed, leaning back in the chair. Marlow looked at Riley's backpack. It was painfully bare. She walked over to her closet and pulled a few items of clothing out of it. "You don't have to do that."

Marlow waved her off. "It's fine. You can't keep walking around with two different shirts and pants," she said. She dug deeper into her closet, turning her head to look at Riley. "Do you like dresses?" she asked. She had wanted to get rid of some stuff for a while and Riley would need some new clothes. Riley nodded, so Marlow grabbed a couple of dresses and tossed them at her along with the other items. "Do you need shoes?"

Riley looked down at her beat-up sneakers. She had gone through sunshine and rain with them - and it was noticeable. "Sure," she said. Marlow looked through her shoe rack. "Just no underwear, please," she added jokingly. Marlow fell to the floor in a heap of laughter.

"Okay, okay, I get it. I'm doing too much," she told her. She looked through her collection of shoes nonetheless, trying to figure out what would best fit Riley. "I know what you're doing though," she told Riley. Riley faintly smiled at her. It was obvious that Riley was merely trying to distract her from her worries and Marlow was appreciated it. "Thank you."

Riley's smile grew bigger. Marlow tossed a few pairs of shoes her way. "I'm not sure how much of this stuff will fit into my backpack," Riley said, trying to catch all of the items.

Marlow scrunched up her nose, looking around her room. "Try this."

Marlow turned around, smiling as her dad stood in her doorway with a suitcase in his hand. "Dad, Dr. Geyer said you needed to rest some more before you get back to work."

Noah waved her off and walked into the room. He put the suitcase in front of Riley and the young girl got to work, putting her newly acquired clothes in. "I've rested enough," he stated. He looked over at Marlow. "Heard anything from your brother?"

Marlow sighed, shaking her head. "No. I'm still waiting," she replied. He nodded. Marlow turned to Riley. "Do you want some jewelry too?"

"Uhh."

"I'll just pick some things out," Marlow told her, waving her hand before Riley could answer. Riley watched her best friend pick some stuff out with a wary look on her face. But if she needed this to feel better, then so be it.

Noah sat down on Marlow's bed with a sigh. "So, you're Parrish's niece?" he asked. Riley chuckled. It was quite a nuisance for her as well. She'd need to figure out why everyone had forgotten her and why her uncle thought she died and seemed to have forgotten sending her off on her last day in Beacon Hills.

"Yeah, it's...pretty weird," she said, a slight laugh escaping her lips.

Noah laughed as well. "Well, just know that I protect my Deputies' families with all of my power," he assured her.

She smiled at him. Riley hadn't had a real family in ten years and all of a sudden it was as if at least a dozen people were caring about her. "Thank you."

Marlow fell on her bed, her arms folded in front of her chest. She dumped a bunch of necklaces, rings, and bracelets onto her blanket. Then she looked around her room. "What else could I give you to make your room more lively? We're gonna have to decorate it."

Riley stared at her friend defeatedly. She already knew having people in her life again would be weird, so she simply sighed and shrugged. "Honestly, I haven't had a room in years. So, who knows?"

Noah got off Marlow's bed and grabbed her notepad and a pencil off her desk. "Well, you're gonna need some wall paint, a bed, a desk, a chair," he rambled.

Riley put up her hand before he could go on. "That's going to cost me a fortune that neither I nor Jordan possesses. And before you say anything," she said as Marlow opened her mouth to say something. "You don't have that kind of money either."

Marlow closed her mouth. Riley was right. Noah ripped the page off the notepad and handed it to Riley. "Then we do it one by one," he told her. "Starting with the bed."

Riley narrowed her eyes at the father-daughter duo. "You want to take me bed shopping?"

Marlow and Noah looked at each other, then back at Riley. "Yes," they stated simultaneously.

Riley chuckled. "Okay. Let's go then."

* * *

Marlow pushed through the front door of Scott's house. Stiles had finally called after they'd gotten a bed for Riley that was in their limited price range. She had dropped Riley and her dad off at Parrish's apartment complex and taken off for the McCall house. The boys had done it. They had gotten Kira back.

And there she was, sitting on the armchair next to the couch that Scott lay on. He was asleep and Marlow halted, trying not to wake him up. She jumped excitedly as quietly as possible. "Kira!" she whispered.

Kira smiled widely at her friend. She walked over to Marlow, engulfing her in a hug. "Hey."

Marlow had to contain her excitement as they pulled apart. "What happened? Where have you been?"

"Well," Kira started, nodding towards the boys. "Scott and Stiles saved me and my mom just in time." she went on. Marlow raised her hands, beckoning Kira to go on. "My mom brought me to these Skinwalkers, don't ask," Kira continued, raising her hand as Marlow gave her a questioning stare. "They were supposed to help me contain the fox inside me but they wanted to keep me there. The boys got us out of there just in time."

"So you haven't gotten your powers under control yet?" Marlow asked. Kira shook her head. Marlow sighed. "Well, I'm happy you're back regardless. And we'll figure out how to deal with your powers too."

Kira smiled at her as Stiles entered the living room with Liam and Mason in tow. Marlow narrowed her eyes at them. "We need to talk to Scott. Immediately." Liam said.

Kira nodded, walking over to her sleeping boyfriend. She lightly shook him awake. "Scott, wake up," she said softly. Scott opened his eyes, putting his hand on Kira's.

His smile fell as he turned to look at Liam and Mason. He quickly sat up. "What's wrong?"

Marlow looked at her best friends. She hadn't heard from either of them the whole day and was hoping they had come out of their recon missions with some more information. "I found out something from Corey. We know what Theo's doing." Mason told Scott.

Marlow braced herself. It couldn't have been anything good. "He's looking for an Alpha. A blind Alpha." Liam went on.

Marlow, Scott, and Kira shared a look. They knew exactly who they were talking about but it made no sense. "Deucalion," Scott said. But the last time they'd heard about him, his eyesight had been restored and he left town. So why was he back? And why was he working for Theo?


	15. malia

Marlow rushed after Riley as her best friend exited the elevator. Riley stopped and threw up her hand before Marlow could follow her. "I need to talk to my uncle alone."

Marlow sighed but let Riley walk away. She turned back to her dad. He was explaining the current crisis to Stiles, Scott, and Kira. Twenty-three bodies had been found in the tunnels below Beacon Hills. Twenty-three innocent people had fallen victim to the newest bloodthirsty Beast in town. She walked up to the small group.

"Who found them?" Scott asked as they watched stretcher after stretcher being wheeled away.

"Argent," Noah replied. "And he said the Doctors were down there. He also said you guys might know what this thing is."

"We've got a theory," Scott told him.

"It's a slightly terrifying theory," Stiles added.

Marlow scoffed. "Understatement of the year," she said. Stiles gave her a look. She quieted down.

"Well, the ME said that victims were killed somewhere else and then dumped in those tunnels," Noah explained.

"Hey, what if the Dread Doctors are hiding the bodies," Scott said.

Marlow narrowed her eyes at him. "Why would they do that?" Kira asked.

"Maybe they're covering for it. Protecting it like a parent would." Stiles suggested. Marlow felt weird, thinking about the Dread Doctors trying to protect anything. Especially a Beast.

"Protecting what?" Noah asked intently.

"A werewolf," Scott replied.

"It's called the Beast," Kira added.

"We know. Horrifying." Stiles told his dad upon seeing the look on his face.

"We better figure out what we're gonna call Parrish. Because it looks like his dream is coming true." Noah told the kids.

"Speaking of Parrish," Marlow said as she looked past her dad. Riley and Parrish argued a little further down the hallway.

Marlow tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, listening in on the conversation. "You signed me up for school, uncle Jordan. That is the worst crime you could have committed against me."

Parrish sighed. "Again, I didn't do it. Sheriff Stilinski signed you up. But thank God he did before I even had to worry about that too." he explained. "You can't just lounge around in the apartment all day, waiting for your friends to need you."

Riley groaned in annoyance. Marlow turned to her dad. "You signed Riley up for school?"

Noah sighed, turning around to look at the arguing duo. He turned back to Marlow. "Yes. Not only is Riley required to go, but you're also gonna need her help in the future and she can't keep walking in and out of the school without attending."

"I just don't understand why I have to go now," Riley told Parrish.

Parrish narrowed his eyes at her. "What are you whining about? It's just school."

"Sophomore year ends in like a few months. I'll be the odd one out immediately."

"I think your classmates are going to be worrying about other things than a new classmate."

Riley growled under her breath. Parrish held up a hand. "I'm done talking about this," he stated determinately. "You're going to school tomorrow. And right now, you're going to go home and stay there. I want you to stay safe while we find out what killed these people."

Parrish walked away from Riley and the girl walked over to her friends. "Don't worry, Riley. We'll get you situated at school in no time." Kira assured her. Riley faintly smiled at the girl.

"Yeah, and with everything that's going on, school will we the least of our worries." Scott reminded everyone.

Marlow nodded. "Truer words could not have been spoken."

* * *

The next day at school was a horrifying experience, even with everything the pack had gone through. Deputies roamed the halls, tightly clutching their shotguns. Students all around were terrified. Marlow constantly expected another dead-eyed Deputy to stare at her as they patrolled the hallways.

"By order of the Sheriff, a county-wide curfew goes into effect tonight at sundown. All after-school activities are canceled until further notice. Students should go directly home at the end of the school day." someone announced over the PA system. Marlow shook her head, thinking about the conditions they were living in.

Marlow and Riley walked down the hall in between classes. Scott caught up with them as they walked up to Stiles. "See, Riley? No one's even paying attention to you," he told the girl.

Riley scoffed, taking in her surroundings. "I can't blame them."

The trio walked up to Stiles as he talked to Deputy Strauss. "You don't think this is a bit much in terms of firepower for a high school?" Stiles asked.

"Your Dad's the one that issued us these things, and he wouldn't officially say why." Deputy Strauss replied.

"Did he say anything unofficially?" Scott asked.

"No. But everyone's got a theory." Strauss replied.

"What's yours?" Stiles asked.

"I shouldn't be talking to you guys. Don't you have class?" Strauss asked back.

"Come on, Strauss. What's your theory?" Stiles beckoned. Marlow wanted to tell him to back off but was too invested in what the town's Deputies were thinking about the situation.

Strauss looked around at the other Deputies in the hallway. He then leaned closer towards the kids. "Do you guys believe in the supernatural?" he asked. Marlow had to stifle a laugh. She knew the police force had probably had their theories for years but hearing that they were actually on the right track was both funny and terrifying to her.

Marlow, Riley, Stiles, and Scott left Deputy Strauss to do his thing, leaving his question rather unanswered. Riley turned to the boys. "I know the plan is to get back Malia but something is telling me she's battling her demons right now."

"Was it her? Did Malia tell you that herself?" Stiles asked.

Marlow narrowed her eyes at Stiles and Scott. She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "What are you boys hiding?" she asked. Stiles and Scott shared a look. "Out with it."

There was another beat of silence. Then Scott finally looked at Marlow. "Riley's right. Malia is...well, she's going to fight her mother with Braeden."

Marlow stared at him in shock. "First of all, what?" she asked. "And second, Braeden is back?" she added. "And finally, what?"

Stiles sighed. "We didn't want to tell you, because we knew you were going to get mad and try and help Malia-"

"Uhm, yes, of course, I want to help Malia!" Marlow yelled. She calmed down when her classmates started staring. "Her mother is a professional assassin. She could get seriously hurt!"

"Malia will be fine. And if she does need our help, we'll be here." Scott assured her.

Marlow sighed, shaking her head. "Fine." she finally said. "What do we do in the meantime?"

"I'm not sure yet. But you will be the first person I call when I find out."

Marlow nodded. She wanted nothing more than to help Malia out but she also trusted her friend to do the right thing. Malia could handle herself. They'd have to figure out what to do about the Beast in the meantime.

* * *

Marlow and Riley trudged after Scott in the tunnels below Beacon Hills. "And why are we doing this again?" Riley asked. Both girls hadn't been too keen on running around in the tunnels all afternoon, especially because Scott had let Liam pass by them five times already without saying anything.

And Marlow was still worried about Malia. She had tried to just let her do her thing but it was getting harder and harder to do.

"Because this might be the perfect way to get Liam back," Scott whispered.

"I thought you needed some more time away from him, you know, because of that unfortunate squabble you two had in the library," Riley whispered back.

Scott halted, letting out a defeated sigh. "I don't need a reminder of that. And I've had enough time to think." he started. He turned to the girls. "We need Liam in the pack. He's the only one we can get our hands on right now."

Marlow crossed her arms in front of her chest, giving Scott a look. "So let me guess," she started. "You're going to pull a Derek and watch him from the shadows until it's time to dramatically reveal yourself."

Scott narrowed his eyes at her. "Shut up."

Marlow chuckled as they kept on walking towards their destination. A few minutes later Scott stopped in his tracks once more, putting a hand out to stop the girls from walking. He put a finger over his mouth, indicating for Marlow and Riley to stay quiet. Marlow rolled her eyes. Derek had been gone for months but his mostly misguided methods were still good enough for Scott.

The trio watched as Liam walked into view. Marlow had no idea what he was even doing in the tunnels but there had to have been a reason for it. Liam turned around, facing his friends in the dark corner. "You lost?" Scott asked him.

"Completely," Liam replied. Marlow, Riley, and Scott walked up to him. "How did you know I was down here?"

"We followed you," Scott replied.

"Why are you following me?"

"Why are you down here?" Scott asked.

"I'm just trying to figure out if this is where they took us. Me and Hayden." Liam replied. "Malia said she was down here too. That the scent was the same. She said you were right."

A beat of silence passed as Marlow and Riley waited for Scott's reaction. The only thing Marlow had wanted for days was for her friends to reunite. Stiles and Kira were back already, now was the time Liam could come back too. Marlow nudged Scott, nodding towards Liam.

He smiled faintly. "Uh, there's a turn you keep passing. It's easy to miss." Scott finally told Liam.

 _It's a start,_ Marlow thought to herself.

Liam gave his friends a look. "How many times did you watch me pass it?"

"Five," Scott admitted.

Marlow raised her fingers. "For the record," she started. Scott closed his eyes, shaking his head with an amused smile crossing his face. "Riley and I wanted to stop earlier. This is just wasting all of our time."

"Come on. Let's see if we can find it together." Scott told his friends.

They rounded a corner and started walking. Marlow sighed. "Does anyone know what exactly we're even looking for?"

Scott and Liam shot each other a look. "We'll figure it out. Don't you worry," Liam replied.

Marlow bit her tongue before another remark could slip out. She wanted to be involved and to help but most of what they were doing seemed pointless. Then again, she knew that she had to trust the process. Rome wasn't built in one day.

"Does anyone have an idea what to do with the Beast once we find out who it is?" Riley asked. Marlow looked over at her. She hadn't even thought about that. Riley looked at her friends individually. "Do we kill it? Them? Whatever?"

They all came to another stop. Marlow was starting to feel something weird passing through her. "We will figure that out when the time has come," Scott said, looking at his friends. "Okay?" he asked. They all nodded but remained still nonetheless. Scott put out his hands. Marlow began to realize that there was a weird vibration that was passing through her. "Do you guys feel that?"

Liam nodded. "Like something's vibrating."

"I can't tell where it's coming from," Scott said.

Marlow closed her eyes, trying to focus on the energy. Then she realized it. "It's coming from everywhere," Liam spoke up. Marlow opened her eyes and saw that he was kneeling on the ground, trying to get a feel for the vibrations. It didn't make any more sense though. What did the vibrations mean? Liam sighed. "I was just trying to do something right."

"You do a lot right," Scott assured him.

"Yeah, but I did one thing really wrong."

"Hayden's alive. Everything before that doesn't matter." Scott assured him.

"It should." Liam interrupted. "I feel like I had to do more than just say sorry."

"Actually, you still haven't done that." Scott reminded him. Marlow and Riley shared a look. They started to feel like they shouldn't be there for this.

"Back at my old school..." Liam started. Scott motioned for him to go on. "At Devenford, I got into a fight with this kid. I knocked two of his teeth out. They made me write a letter of apology. We both knew it meant nothing. We both knew that sooner or later, we're gonna get into another fight. I can't just say I'm sorry. I feel like I have to do something. Like maybe, somehow I have to save your life."

Scott crouched down to Liam's level. "Don't worry. I'm pretty sure you'll get a chance." he joked. Marlow lightly hit him in the shoulder. He smiled at her. She shook her head. She was all for gallows humor but sometimes it just wasn't appropriate.

Liam scoffed, looking at his surroundings. "Well, not down here. We've been walking around for hours and all we've been able to find is some stupid snake sculpture on the wall."

Marlow looked over at where Liam was pointing. Scott furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at the sculpture. He got up off the floor.

"You think it's important?" Liam asked.

Scott walked over to the sculpture. Marlow, Riley, and Liam followed him. Scott wiped some dust off the snake, accidentally moving it in the process. He gave his friends a questioning look. Riley raised her hands. "Why is this like the beginning of every adventure movie ever?"

Marlow waved her hand at the wall. "Keep going."

Scott turned the snake in a circle until the head of it was facing downward. A mechanical whirring went around the tunnels. Liam looked over, then nodded for his friends to follow him. There was now a door in the wall. Marlow narrowed her eyes, brows furrowing as they walked towards it.

Scott grabbed the door handle, looking back at his friends. They nodded at him. He pulled open the door. The group went in, quickly halting as there was a gun being pointed at their face. Chris looked at the kids defeatedly, holstering his weapons as they all looked at each other.

Marlow started smelling something. Something she hadn't smelled in almost two years. She gave Chris a look. "No way."

"You didn't," Scott added.

"I had to," Chris told them.

Marlow shook her head annoyedly as Gerard Argent walked up to them. She growled. "Hello, Scott." the old man greeted. Scott's eyes flashed red in anger and Marlow couldn't blame him. She hadn't been allowed to join in on the fight against the Kanima and Gerard directly but she was around and she knew Gerard was a bad guy. Like, child murderer bad.

"I haven't seen that color on you," Gerard said. "It suits you."

"Who's the old guy?" Liam asked.

Riley raised her hand. "Yeah, I'd like to know that too, considering he's giving me all the bad vibes in the world right now."

Gerard chuckled. "Uh, at the moment, uh, they would call me a necessary evil. But you can call me Gerard."

Marlow dug her claws into her palms. It took all the restraint inside her not to go for Gerard's throat right that second. She hadn't even felt that much anger towards Theo. And that was saying something. She could feel blood seeping through her fingers, then felt her hand being grabbed lightly. She looked up at Liam, giving him a faint smile as she calmed down. He nodded at her.

"What were you thinking?" Scott asked Chris.

"That we need him."

"He's right. If you want to catch a werewolf, like the Beast of Gevaudan, you're going to need more than one Argent." Gerard chimed in.

Chris walked up to the kids. "He knows all the stories. All the folklore. Everything written and everything passed down."

"And you're sure about this?" Scott asked.

"Take a look," Chris replied, nodding behind him. He walked into another room. The kids followed him reluctantly.

Liam let go of Marlow's hands and she felt herself longing to be able to just grab it once more. Riley put her arm around Marlow, wrapping her in a side hug. Marlow smiled at her. She hadn't been able to talk to anyone but Riley about her feelings and she appreciated having her back.

Inside the adjoining room was an illustration on the wall. It was two Beast-like beings fighting each other. "The one on the right is the Beast of Gevaudan," Chris explained. He turned to Scott. "Do you know what the other one is?"

Scott shook his head but Marlow could almost immediately tell that it was a Hellhound. Her heart fluttered as she realized that no one had told Riley about her uncle yet. She could only hope that no one would bring it up until she caught a quiet moment to tell her.

"The Hellhound. The guardian of supernatural places. They're both creatures of the night. But you may know them as ordinary people during the day." Gerard explained.

"And most likely neither of them know what they are," Chris added.

Marlow, Riley, Scott, and Liam shared a look. Chris looked over at them. "What is it?"

"We found a message in Latin..." Scott started. "Damnatio Memoriae."

Chris looked at his father. "They want it to remember itself," Gerard said. Marlow narrowed her eyes at him. She didn't trust Gerard. Not one bit. He wasn't an all-loving saint of supernaturals. Just a few years prior he had wanted them all dead and Marlow didn't think for a second that that wasn't still his ulterior motive.

"That might give us time," Chris said.

"Time for what?" Liam asked.

"To prevent this," Chris replied. He walked forward and kicked the wall tiles below the illustration away. There was a horror show beneath the original drawing. Bodies upon bodies piled up over one another.

"Who are they?" Liam asked.

Marlow's heart skipped a beat. She knew the new mission would be dangerous but this was downright terrifying.

"Us. It's all of us."

* * *

"All I'm saying," Marlow started as the group of friends walked into the animal clinic. "Is that I don't trust Gerard Argent. And if he tries something, I will nip it in the bud. Possibly with force."

Scott sighed. "I don't trust him either, Marlow. You know that. You were there during his rampage. But right now we need him. He knows things. More than we do."

Riley raised her hand. "For what it's worth, I seriously got a bad vibe every time I looked at that man. And my vibes have never let me down."

Riley nearly ran into Scott as he halted. Marlow let out an excited shriek as the four of them watched Malia standing by one of the steel bars. Braeden and Deaton were there too. Marlow rushed forward, engulfing Malia in a hug. "Hey!"

Malia chuckled as she wrapped her arms around Marlow. "Hey."

The two broke apart. "You're okay," Marlow said.

Malia nodded. "For now."

Scott and Deaton hugged as well. "I remember you." Riley suddenly spoke up. Marlow turned around to face her. Her gaze was fixed on Deaton. "You used to come to our house all the time before my parents died."

Deaton looked over at the young girl. "Riley."

Riley nodded. "That's me," she said. "And I have some questions for you."

* * *

Marlow, Stiles, Scott, Malia, Kira, and Liam were all gathered in Scott's house, looking over the blueprints for Eichen House one more time. Riley was still talking to Deaton and Marlow left them to it. Maybe he would have some answers for her.

But everyone else had a different goal at the moment. It was time to reunite the pack once and for all. Marlow smiled at her friends. She was so happy to have nearly everyone back in the same room, working towards one goal once more.

She smiled as Scott looked at her.

"Now we get Lydia."


	16. a friend to die for

Marlow sat by the phone, waiting for further news from Stiles. She and Riley were made to stay behind until further news. The Beast had been spotted on the streets. A terrifying thought, considering all of the town's Deputies were chasing after it without any clue in the world of what the thing was capable of.

Riley nervously chewed on her nail, legs bouncing as she sat on Marlow's bed. "This is bad. We were supposed to be getting Lydia and now we're back chasing the Beast."

"I know. But we're still getting Lydia." Marlow assured Riley. She sighed, spinning around in her swivel chair once more. "What did Deaton tell you about your parents, by the way?"

Riley halted, looking over at Marlow. She opened her mouth to answer when the phone rang. Riley perked up. Marlow rolled over to her desk, grabbing her phone. "It's Stiles!" she exclaimed. She tapped the accept button and held the phone to her ear.

"Don't put me on speaker." Stiles immediately said.

Marlow narrowed her eyes. "Okay." She didn't know what could have gone so wrong that Riley couldn't hear but it concerned her nonetheless. "What's going on?"

"Stiles, get off this channel." Marlow heard her dad say over the radio.

"Dad, just listen to me, okay? It's headed for the hospital, all right. He's headed for Beacon Memorial. You hear me? It's headed for the hospital." Stiles emphasized. "Marlow we need you guys there, right now!"

Marlow got off her chair and walked over to the door, grabbing her jacket. Riley followed suit, even if she didn't even know what was going on. "Unit Five, Clark, I need eyes on Parrish. Does anyone have Parrish's 20?" she heard her dad ask.

"All units, we have a 911 emergency call reporting a man on fire running into Beacon Memorial." Dispatch called out.

Marlow halted. "Stiles, if Parrish is there in all of his Hellhound glory, then I can't bring Riley. She doesn't know yet," she whispered into the phone.

"I can't believe neither of you has told her yet. It's not as if she doesn't know."

"It's still a sensitive subject."

"It doesn't matter. We need you both there. She's going to have to find out."

Marlow sighed, hanging up the phone. Riley stared her down eagerly. "Can you zap us to the hospital?"

Riley nodded, grabbing Marlow by the arm. The two were gone in less than a second. When they arrived at the hospital, Marlow nearly collapsed on the floor. Riley chuckled at her. "Sorry, I should have warned you. Fading is never a fun experience the first few times."

"Oh God, I hope all of my organs are still in my body." Marlow croaked out.

Riley helped her up, another chuckled escaping her lips. The two looked around the empty hospital. It looked like a war zone in there. Things were on fire, there were ashes all over the walls and floor and certain things were broken beyond repair.

The girls jumped as they heard a roar in the distance. Then more things breaking. "Oh, my God!" Marlow whispered. "It's still here." A hand was placed on her shoulder, making her jump even harder. She turned around, coming face to face with her dad. He put his finger over his lip. Marlow nodded eagerly.

Stiles and Scott were already standing behind him. Noah pushed past the girls, his gun was drawn. Marlow's heart was racing. She could practically hear Riley's heart jumping out of her chest. Safe to assume everyone was on edge. Suddenly, Noah halted and pushed the kids back. A blaming ball flew past them.

Only when it hit the wall, did Marlow realize it wasn't a ball but a person. He sat against the wall, clearly in a dazed state. His eyes were glowing orange. He was covered in ash and three giant claw marks adorned his chest. Riley stared at her uncle in shock. "Jordan? What the hell?!"

Noah kneeled in front of his Deputy. He was still out of it. Riley walked up behind them as Scott left their side. "Parrish? You okay?" Noah asked. Riley crossed her arms in front of her chest, giving Marlow a look. Marlow bit her lip. Parrish still wouldn't respond. "Deputy!"

He snapped out of it, staring at Noah in shock. Riley kneeled next to him. "I think you need to explain some things to me," she told him. He looked at her, then nodded.

Meanwhile, Marlow and Stiles followed Scott down the hall. There were bloody paw prints on the floor, most likely belonging to the Beast. The more they followed them, the smaller they became. Eventually, the paw prints were replaced by bloody shoe prints. Marlow looked at Scott and Stiles. "Guys, what the hell is going on here?"

* * *

Marlow, Scott, Stiles, Malia, Kira, and Liam were once again gathered in Scott's kitchen. Riley was presumably still talking to her uncle. She hadn't responded to any of Marlow's text. Maybe she was busy sulking. Marlow wanted to talk to her but she had to give her her freedom. Especially because she had other priorities to deal with. Like getting Lydia out of Eichen House before she died.

The blueprint of the building lay on the table once more. Stiles stood in front of his laptop, starting his explanation of the plan. "There's four steps. We get into Eichen, we get into the Closed Unit, we get Lydia, get out."

"And we have to do it all of this while getting past orderlies, guards, electric door locks, and a Mountain Ash barrier," Scott added.

Marlow narrowed her eyes at them. Sometimes it seemed like they talked before thinking. They would all need much more of an explanation than just that. Malia seemed to think the same thing. "You have a plan for all of that?"

Stiles pulled a key card from his pocket and showed it off to the others. "I stole this last night off an orderly," he told them. "But it's useless 'cause they reset the codes each night." Marlow gave him a look.

"So why did you take it?" Kira asked.

"I'm getting to that."

"The only way to get Lydia out of Eichen is to make that key card work again." Scott chimed in.

"How are you going to do that?" Liam asked.

"We're getting to that, okay, just listen," Stiles replied, turning his laptop screen to the others. "I pulled all the history off the key card. Two weeks ago, there was a brownout and the security system rebooted. During a reboot, all of the key cards revert back to a default code. So, if we trigger a reboot..."

"The card goes back to the default code. It works again." Liam said.

"How are we going to cause a brownout?" Kira asked.

"That's your part," Scott replied. "You're going to draw power from the mainline. But only enough to cause the brownout."

"Not a blackout. Do that and you send Eichen into lockdown which would be bad. Very, very bad." Stiles added.

Marlow crossed her arms in front of her chest. "That's easy for you guys to say. You know for a fact Kira is struggling with her powers at the moment." she reminded them. She felt as though they were imagining the whole thing going down way too easy.

"Kira can do it," Scott assured Marlow. She bit her lip, holding back the sarcastic comment that was about to slip out. Scott grabbed a marker and pointed at the blueprint. "There's an electrical room behind the reception counter. The main power line goes into two breakers that run power to all of Eichen."

"Okay, slight problem. I don't know how to do that." Kira chimed in.

"That's okay. You have time to practice." Scott told her.

"For how long?" Marlow asked defeatedly. "This whole plan basically hinges on Kira and you're leaving a lot to chance."

Malia waved her hand. "Let's say all this goes perfectly. How does a brownout get us into the Closed Unit of Eichen?"

"The system takes five minutes to reboot. In that five minutes, all the alarms will be turned off the key card should work." Stiles replied.

"Marlow, Liam, you guys and I get Stiles to the gate of the Closed Unit," Scott said. "But after that, he has to go on his own. We can't get past the Mountain Ash barrier. And when we're gone, all anyone's going to think is that there was a reboot of the security system caused by a brownout."

Marlow furrowed her brow. She still wasn't on board with the whole thing. There way too many possibilities of everything going to hell. "Uh, any questions?" Stiles asked.

"How do we get into Eichen House in the first place?" Liam asked.

"What's our worst-case scenario?" Malia added.

"What if I can't do it?" Kira asked.

Marlow raised her hands. "Is there even a Plan B this time?"

"Okay, admittedly, a lot could go wrong," Stiles replied.

"Everything could go wrong." Liam reminded him. At least Marlow wasn't alone with her scruples.

"Guys, if we don't do this, we lose Lydia. She's going to die in there tonight. And she might take a lot of innocent people with her." Scott reminded his friends.

Marlow raised her hand once more. Scott sighed. "I get that. I do." she started. "But here's another suggestion," she went on. She looked at her friends individually. "Why don't we just let Riley zap into Eichen, grab Lydia, and zap her out?"

Scott furrowed his brows. Stiles' eyes widened. "Can she do that?"

Marlow shrugged. "She zapped me last night. So, maybe."

Scott and Stiles shared a look. Scott looked back at Marlow. "Okay, that might work. But, we've never dealt with witches before. We don't know their weaknesses and we don't know how well Eichen House is prepared for them." he reminded her. Marlow closed her eyes and sighed. "So, why don't we keep that in our heads as our Plan B?"

Marlow nodded defeatedly. He was right. Eichen House could have all kinds of traps for witches, just as it does for were-creatures and the Dread Doctors. She looked at her friends again. "Okay, fine. Then let's get ourselves prepped and bring Lydia home."

* * *

Riley walked faded into the Chemistry lab at school just as Kira made one of the lightbulbs explode. She jumped slightly as sparks flew around Kira and Malia. "Woah! That's cool," she exclaimed, walking up to the girls.

Kira sighed. "Yeah, but it didn't work."

"No, it didn't." Malia deadpanned. Riley watched as the werecoyote pulled a glass shard from her forehead. She grabbed a pair of goggles from the closet and handed them to Malia. The other girl grabbed them and put them on instantly.

Kira looked up at Riley. "We half expected you not to come after last night's debacle."

Riley sighed, waving her off. "I should have figured uncle Jordan's supernatural as well," she said. She shrugged. "But, I mean, can you blame me for freaking out? I always believed my maternal family was witch-based only. And now here's my Hellhound uncle." she went on. She waved her hand once more. "Anyways, Marlow texted and told me you were practicing to get Lydia out so here I am, trying to help."

"Well, thanks for coming. But I don't think you would have missed much." Malia told her. She turned to the werecoyote-witch. "Best case scenario, Kira stabs your eyes out."

Riley chuckled. She liked Malia a whole lot. They were very similar. "Go on, Kira. You can do it."

Kira sighed but screwed another lightbulb into the contraption nonetheless. Riley sat down on one of the tables, watching Kira do her thing. The powers of the Kitsune fascinated her. She had only ever seen werecoyotes, werewolves, and witches in her life. Watching Kira do her thing was a whole new experience.

Another bulb broke, then another one. Kira went on and on until about a dozen broken light bulbs lay on the table in front of her. The girl leaned on the table, head resting on her hands. She sighed, looking over at Malia. "Can I ask you a question?"

"No."

"Did your mother really try to kill you?" Kira asked anyway.

"Did your mother try to leave you in the desert with Skinwalkers?" Malia countered.

Riley perked up. She hadn't heard about this topic before and it was beginning to get intriguing. "Are you really going to try to kill her first?" Kiras asked.

Malia sighed. She got off the table, taking the goggles off in the process. "Why'd you take off the goggles?" Kira asked.

Malia walked over to the table. "Because this time you're gonna do it. And it's gonna work. Because this is the only way we're getting Lydia out of Eichen House." Kira looked uncertain but nodded at Malia nonetheless. Riley hopped off the counter and walked up to the girls as Kira concentrated on the bulb once more.

The girl grabbed the electricity cables, closing her eyes to focus. The bulb brightened up. Then it dimmed. Riley raised her eyebrows. "Well, look at that."

"Kira, it's working," Malia said. Kira let out an excited laugh, causing the light bulb to shatter and the lights to explode above them. Riley cringed as the room went dark. Kira sighed, looking at the broken lamps.

"We should go," Malia said.

"Yeah." Kira nodded and the girls ran for the door.

Riley stayed behind as they fled, narrowing her eyes at the blackboard. "Alright, chamelecorey, you can come out now." she drawled. The room remained empty. Riley held out her hands, feeling for anything in the area. Once she touched an item of clothing, she pulled as hard as possible, making Corey materialize in front of her. "Hey there!"

Corey gave the girl a terrified look. "I can explain!"

"You definitely can't," Riley said. She smirked. "At least not without incriminating yourself or your so-called 'friends'." she went on. She tightened her grip on his collar. "So, listen up. I know you're planning something with Lydia. And I will tell my friends about it. And I'm sure you'll tell your companions about this. So, feel free to relay this message to your demon overlord. Tell him, that if he comes for my friends and tries to hurt them, I will hurt him. And that's a damn guarantee."

* * *

Marlow was on the road towards Parrish's apartment. She needed to hurry and get her before the pack was supposed to meet at Eichen. No one had told her that Riley had already rejoined the mission. Marlow was intent on getting to Riley and saving Lydia that she hadn't even noticed how much she had sped-up during the ride.

The car kept its speed, even as Marlow stepped on the breaks. She started to panic, trying over and over again to get the car to stop. Her heart started to race as she swerved to the side, barreling towards a tree. She let out a scream as the car crashed into it.

When she awoke again, she looked out of the broken windshield. The hood of the car had smashed right into the tree. Her eyes fluttered as she looked at her surroundings. No one as far as the eye could see. She whimpered as a flash of pain shot through her abdomen. Finally looking down, she could see that a branch had come through the window and lodged itself into her stomach.

She groaned out in pain. She had to get the thing out to heal but there was no semblance of strength left in her. So she did the only thing she could think of. She pulled her phone out of pocket and searched for Deaton's number. Her hands were shaking but she had to hurry before anyone else found her.

They'd call an ambulance, have her taken to the hospital. Then she would have to explain her miraculous healing. She finally found the number and gave him a call. After a few rings, Deaton answered the call. "Marlow?"

"I need help. I had a car accident. There's a branch...in my body. I can't get it out." she croaked out. Her breathing began coming out in ragged heaps, eyes fluttering shut. "Please help me..." Her head dropped against the headrest as she passed out from the pain. Her hand dropped to her side.

"Marlow, where are you right now? Marlow? Marlow!"


	17. lydia

"Put her on the table. Careful!"

"Is she gonna be okay?"

"I don't know."

"Please, tell me she's going to be okay!"

Marlow whimpered, her eyes opening slowly. There was a bright light shining onto her face. Deaton was leaning over her, putting a gauze pat onto her stomach. She slightly turned her face to see the other person in the room. Mason stood next to her, a worried glance on his face.

"Hey there, Marlow." Deaton greeted softly. "Don't worry. I'll fix you."

She groaned out as another bolt of pain shot through her. "Marlow!" Mason yelled out, grabbing her hand.

"She will be fine, Mason. You need to get to Eichen House right away."

"I can't-"

Marlow squeezed his hand. "Go. Help them save Lydia." she croaked out.

He sighed but nodded. "Call me when she's doing better," he told Deaton. Then his hand slipped out of hers and he was gone.

Marlow breathed out as Deaton got to work on her wound. She was supposed to help her friends save Lydia. They needed all the manpower they could get. Her thoughts were racing, making up tons of ways everything could go south. She wanted to just get up and help them. Just make a run for it. But before she knew it, the gentle sounds of Deaton using his equipment on her wounds faded away as she passed out.

* * *

Riley faded into the Closed Unit of Eichen House. She watched as her uncle picked Corey up by his neck, engulfing him in flames. He tossed the boy away from him and he flew right at her. "Riley!" Stiles yelled.

The young girl jumped out of the way before Corey could take her down. Instead, he crashed into Stiles and the two boys fell to the floor. A stranger held a girl in his arms. She looked catatonic. Riley could only assume that it was Lydia.

She turned around, watching as Theo got up off the floor and picked up a steel rod. "No!" she yelled out as he threw it at her uncle. It pierced him through the chest and he fell to his knees. Riley roared out loud. Raising her hands, she watched as Theo flew away against the metal gate, hitting the floor with a thud.

Lydia and the man were gone. Riley could hear Stiles yelling for her. She dashed over to her uncle. He stared at her vacantly. She pulled the rod out of his chest and tossed it aside. It hit the floor with a clank. "Jordan, please. Get up," she said. "Uncle Jordan!" she yelled, trying to snap him out of his daze.

He gasped, shaking his head. "Riley? Where did you come from?"

"I left Malia and Kira in the electrical room. Now come one, you need to get out of here." She put his arm over her shoulder, helping him up off the floor.

Parrish held onto her but his grip went loose as he looked at the hallway. Stiles and Theo were gone. Corey, Tracy, and Josh lay unconscious on the floor. Corey was burnt badly. "Help them. I'll find my way out of here."

Riley watched as her uncle fled the unit. She turned around with a sigh. Marlow had warned her to steer clear of Tracy, so she left the girl alone. Instead, she walked over to Josh and kneeled next to him. Riley had no time to be gentle. The plan was already failing, so she raised her hand and slapped Josh across the face. "Wake up, sleeping beauty!"

Josh opened his eyes slowly. It was taking Riley everything not to grab the kid and toss him around the hallway. He and his pack had ruined everything. "Get your ass up!" She got up. Josh got to his feet. Riley pointed at Corey. The other boy was whimpering on the floor, surely in pain from the third-degree burns all across his body.

"My friends, Malia and Kira, are in the electrical room on the first floor. Right behind the front desk. Get him there and let them take his pain. He'll start healing afterward." she instructed.

Josh narrowed his eyes at her but dashed to Corey's side anyway. He picked his friend up, steadying him. Corey's face twisted in pain. "Where are you going?"

"I have some wolves I need to check in with," she replied.

She closed her eyes, trying to locate Scott and Liam's whereabouts. In a flash, she was out of the Closed Unit and on another floor. She came face-to-face with Liam. He jumped back. "Dear God!" he yelled out. He put his hand over his heart. "What are you doing here? I thought you were downstairs with Kira and Malia. How did you even get in here?"

"Calm your ass down!" Riley yelled, grabbing Liam by the shoulders. "Kira and Malia can handle themselves. And I faded in."

Liam's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, so we could have just used you to get Lydia out of here."

"Probably, yeah!" Riley turned around in the room, trying to get a feel for her surroundings. She jumped back as she watched Scott, his claws buried inside a stranger's neck. "What the hell?!" she yelled out, turning back to Liam.

He opened his mouth to answer, lazily throwing up his hand. "Yeah, he's like, in her brain right now. This is why we need to make sure no one comes in here. If he gets interrupted, Meredith could get seriously hurt. Or die."

Riley looked over at Scott and Meredith, then sighed. She nodded. "Alright."

The two fell silent. It was odd to be in the same room as Liam for Riley. Marlow had pretty much cried on her shoulder the first night they got back to Beacon Hills, telling her how much of a mistake she'd made when she broke up with Liam. Riley understood that Marlow did break up with Liam and not the other way around.

But the fact that he didn't even bother fighting for their relationship irked her. Liam turned to her, a questioning expression passing his face. Then the realization came. "You don't exactly like me, do you?"

Riley scrunched up her nose. She didn't want to get in a fight. Not while they were stuck in a house of horrors, in a room where their Alpha werewolf friend was running around in someone's memories. She took a deep breath. "I don't like the way you treated Marlow."

Liam turned to her. "Do I need to remind everyone that she dumped me?"

"Do we need to remind you that she 'dumped' you because she saw how you were thirsting over Hayden?" she countered, keeping her gaze fixed on the hallway. She could feel him still staring, so she turned her head to face him. There was a certain look of sorrow on his face. Maybe even regret. She sighed. "Look, I know Marlow didn't exactly handle this situation in the best way either. But you have to understand her. This was her first real relationship."

"Mine too."

Riley smiled at him faintly. She grabbed his arm, squeezing it reassuringly. "Thought so," she said. She hadn't seen Marlow for a decade but even then she knew her best friend had always been awkward regarding boys. "But Marlow has never been the lovey-dovey type of person. She expects everyone to leave her, even if it seems as though there is no way that'll happen." Riley explained. Liam closed his eyes and sighed. "So, no, I don't hate you or anything. I'm sure you're a great person. But I do hate the decision you made."

There was a buzzing sound, cutting the duo's conversation short. Liam's eyes widened. He quietly pulled the door open and poked his head out. He turned back to Riley, closing the door. "Orderlies," he whispered. Riley's face scrunched in anger. "What do we do?"

Riley clenched her fists. They had to keep Scott and Meredith safe no matter what. She looked at Liam confidently. "We fight."

Liam nodded earnestly. The orderlies walked into view. Their eyes widened as they rushed towards the door. One orderly pulled open the door and Liam shoved him into the other, making them fall against the wall and to the floor. Riley jumped out of the room. Liam closed the door forcefully and broke off the card reader.

Riley heard him roar behind her. She hadn't fought in years, especially not grown men while trying to save a friend from an asylum. But she had to pull it together. She raised her chin. Jutting out her arms, she beckoned them towards her with a wave. "Come at me!"

She jumped forward, a roar escaping her lips as the younger orderly ran at her. She raised her fist, clocking him in the face. He stumbled back. Riley raised her hand and sent him flying against the wall, knocking the man out. She turned to Liam, a victorious smile crossing her lips. He mirrored her expression.

Riley's smile faltered as the door opened once more and a bigger orderly walked through it. A much bigger orderly. She pointed behind Liam to where he walked towards them. He narrowed his eyes and turned around. This was one they'd have to take on together. "Oh, sh..."

"Shucks!"

* * *

Marlow's eyes fluttered open. She sat up with a start. "Careful," Deaton warned her softly. She sat at the edge of the table, a groan escaping her lips. "How are you feeling?" he turned around to her on his swivel stool, having been hunched over his desk previously.

Marlow grabbed the bottom hem of her shirt and pulled it up to inspect her stomach. The wound had healed mostly. She breathed out in pain. "Like a giant ass branch lodged itself into my body a few hours ago."

Deaton let out a little chuckle. "That's to be expected," he said. "And other than that?"

"Better." she pulled her phone out of her pocket, checking for any news. There were messages from Mason. He was freaking out. She could tell even without having him anxiously ramble at her. "I need to get to Eichen House."

She jumped off the table, nearly falling back into it as another flash of pain shot through her body. Her face twisted in pain and she clutched her stomach. Deaton rushed to her side. "No, you need to lay back down," he told her. "Remember, if it weren't for your werecoyote powers, you'd most likely be dead right now."

Marlow sighed but climbed onto the table again. Even if it was just because she felt like she was going to faint any second. She lay down again and stared up at Deaton. Riley hadn't gotten the chance to share any new revelations with Marlow yet and she was curious. "So, what do you know about Riley's situation?"

Deaton sighed pulled the stool over. He sat down on it and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I do not know why everyone forgot about Riley. And I don't know why I remember. Trust me, I was just as shocked when I found out."

"It still makes no sense though. How does an entire town just forget about a person?"

Deaton shrugged. "There are a few ways. Mainly, and this is what I told Riley, her mom possibly casting a spell on everyone before she died."

"That makes even less sense somehow."

"I guess so."

Marlow sighed. "I just need everyone to be okay." she rubbed her forehead with her palm. "How can I just lay here and do nothing?"

"You're not doing nothing. You have done so much to help already. And right now you need to get better. Your friends will understand."

Marlow bit her lip. She knew they would. But she didn't even know if they knew yet. Maybe they thought she was bailing. She could only hope that Lydia would be okay and that the mission wouldn't fail.

* * *

Riley put her hands on her knees, bending over and panting as she tried not to throw up. The door to Meredith's cell opened and Scott looked at the guard in the doorway. "Oh!" Liam said as the man fell to the floor. Scott's eyes widened as he looked at Riley and Liam. "Is he out?"

Scott looked at the unconscious orderly. "Yeah."

Liam gave him a thumbs-up. "Okay," he said. He fainted right after.

Riley straightened out, pumping her fists in the air. "We did it!"

"We need to go right now! Do you know where your uncle is?" Scott asked Riley as he woke Liam up. Liam jolted awake. He sat up with a start and Scott pulled him up.

Riley had no idea what Scott had found out from Meredith but there must have been something. She grabbed the boys by their arms and closed her eyes, focusing on her uncle. "Brace yourselves," she warned. In less than a second, they were gone.

The boys were hunched over when Riley opened her eyes again. "Oh, my God!" Liam gasped.

"I know," Riley assured him.

Scott rushed past them to where Parrish lay on the floor. He was unconscious and Riley knew she should have gone with her uncle. Riley and Liam kneeled next to Parrish, propping him up against the wall. "Parrish? Parrish. Parrish. Parrish, hey. Can you hear me?" Scott asked him.

Parrish's eyes shot open, his eyes darted to each kid in front of him. "How did I get here?"

"You tell me. I told you to find a way out of here, not take a nap in the stairwell." Riley said.

"I wasn't taking a nap!" Parrish told her. Riley waved him off.

"Parrish, listen." Scott chimed in. "Eichen's in lockdown. There's no way for us to get out unless Plan B works."

"Plan B? What's Plan B?"

Riley turned to Scott. "I thought I was Plan B?"

"Well, no, you're more like Plan C," Scott told her. Riley narrowed her eyes at him, tilting her head as she tried to figure out what the hell his plan was.

"Don't worry about it. Right now, we need you to find Lydia." Scott instructed.

"Me?"

"Actually, not completely you. We kind of need the other you." Liam told him.

"The Hellhound," Scott added.

Parrish shot Riley a look of uncertainty. Riley gave him a reassuring nod. "It's your time to shine, fireman."

Parrish nodded and got up. Riley clapped her hands together, ready to get whatever Scott wanted to start started. "Alright, how do we trigger your inner Hellhound?" She looked around at her friends. Everyone shrugged. She sighed. She raised her finger, pulling a lighter from her pocket. "How about we light you up?" Parrish's eyes widened as Riley pushed down on the lighter.

* * *

Marlow was on the phone with Mason. Her feet dangled over the table as she thought about ways to help him. "Marls, listen, I'm stumped. There's a damn wall and I don't know what to do!" Marlow scratched the side of her head with a sigh.

She heard Mason gasp over the phone. "What is it?"

Mason didn't answer. Instead, she heard his car door open and then shut. "I'm gonna ram the wall."

"Mason, no!"

She heard his seat buckle click. Marlow jumped off the table. She couldn't let Mason kill himself to shut off the power to Eichen House. She couldn't let him get hurt. It was the one thing she was scared about when she revealed the truth. "Okay, here we go. Gonna ram the wall. Gonna ram it with my car. Just smash through it."

"Mason, stop what you're doing right now! You're gonna hurt yourself." Marlow insisted.

Mason kept rambling on and Marlow needed to stop him. She dashed towards the back door. Deaton was barely able to hold her back in time. "Take out the power. And save my friends. Here we go. All right. Just ram it and destroy my beautiful car that my parents bought me on my birthday, but I'ma save my friends. Here we go. Ram the wall. All right."

"What the hell are you doing?" Marlow suddenly heard Hayden yell.

"Oh, thank God. Can we use your car?" Mason asked her.

Marlow halted. "Mason, what's going on?!"

"Don't worry, Marls. Hayden is here. I think we got it from here. I'll see you later. Get better!"

He hung up the phone. Marlow stared at her phone, eyes narrowed. She turned to Deaton. "I need to go. They need me!"

Deaton grabbed her by the shoulders, leading her back to his work station. "They have got it covered. You can help me get Lydia's cure ready."

Marlow sighed but followed him nonetheless. Without her car, she would never make it to Eichen in time anyway. She could only do her part and hope Lydia would make it out.

* * *

Riley, Scott, and Liam followed Parrish down the corridor to the mountain ash-ridden doorway. He was back in his Hellhound state and Riley was still fascinated with it. "Parrish?" Scott asked as the Deputy kept walking towards the gate.

"How's he going to get through the mountain ash?" Liam asked.

Parrish kept walking, just straight ahead through the gate. A blue ring of fire engulfed him as he walked through it and down the hallway. The kids followed him. Scott put his hand towards the open gateway. He touched it with no problem. Riley raised her eyebrows. "He's burning it right out of the walls."

Riley watched as her uncle rounded the corner, jaw-dropping open. "Awesome."

"Let's go!" Scott instructed.

The trio dashed after Parrish through the building, down into the tunnels. Riley wasn't even sure if they were going the right way. Most things were still confusing to her. But she had to trust that the Hellhound knew where to find the Banshee.

Finally, when the trio was fully caught-up with Parrish, he tossed Stiles their way so that he could embrace Lydia. Scott caught his best friend in his arms before he fell to the floor as Lydia's deadly scream was shielded by Parrish.

Liam put his arms around Riley, shielding her from the oncoming rubble. The kids watched as Parrish carried Lydia through the smoke. "Where to?" he asked.

"This way," Scott replied, nodding over his shoulder. "Come on."

The group started running towards the gate. Riley hoped that Mason was able to stop the lockdown in time. "There's a gate up ahead," Liam told Scott.

"What about Mason?" Scott asked.

"He's on it. Trust me."

Riley turned her head to see if Lydia was still okay. She was very much intent on getting her out before it got too dangerous. Though something about Eichen House seriously dampened her powers.

"Liam, slow down," Scott warned as they barreled towards the gate.

"Liam, wait!" Stiles yelled.

Liam ran up ahead. Arriving at the gate, he grabbed each side, pulling it open with ease. He turned to the others, a smile crossing his face. "I told you."

They ran towards the manhole. Everyone got out just as Malia and Kira arrived in Stiles' Jeep. "Can you stand?" Parrish asked Lydia. She nodded, though Riley could tell the girl was still in pain.

Malia and Kira got out of the car. "Is she okay?" Malia asked worriedly.

"No, we need to go. Give me the keys. We gotta get her to the clinic." Scott replied. Malia handed him the car keys just as Parrish suddenly stumbled against the hood of the Jeep, three giant slashes on his back.

Riley's eyes widened. She turned around to see Tracy holding on to Lydia. "Sorry, but she's coming with me."

"Oh, you bitch!" Riley yelled.

"Okay. Tracy, just wait. You don't know what's about to happen." Scott warned.

"I'm taking her. That's what's happening. And none of are you going to do a thing..." Riley was about to jump in and strike Tracy down when Natalie knocked her out with a shocking-baton instead.

Tracy fell to the floor and Lydia fell into Stiles' arms. "Could somebody please get my daughter out of this hellhole?" Natalie asked.

Riley nodded. "Yeah, I've had it," she said. "Stiles, move!" she ordered, grabbing Lydia. "Meet you at the clinic!"

"Wait!" Scott yelled but Riley had already closed her eyes.

The girls arrived at the clinic. "Oh, God!" Marlow gasped as she saw the two stand there.

"Girls, get her on the table!" Deaton instructed.

Marlow and Riley put Lydia on the table. Marlow grabbed the girl's hand as Lydia groaned in pain. "It's gonna be okay, Lyds! You're going to be okay!"

"Hold her," Deaton demanded.

Lydia screamed again. The room shook and Marlow's heart began to race. "You need to do something, Doctor D!" Riley yelled as the girls steadied Lydia on the table.

"I will. But right now, I need you to keep her still." Deaton prepared the mistletoe syringe.

Marlow strengthened her grip on Lydia's shoulder. Lydia groaned again. "Steady," Deaton said. He walked up to the table, holding the syringe up to the side of Lydia's head. He squeezed down on the applicator and applied the paste.

Riley cringed at the scene. She had never gotten used to the sight of gore and probably never would. Lydia sat up, letting out another scream that shattered the windows. Marlow, Riley, and Deatong braced themselves as glass shards flew their way.

Marlow caught her breath, looking down at Lydia. The girl was out cold. Marlow's eyes widened. She hadn't thought about Lydia possibly dying. Her heart skipped a beat as she lightly shook Lydia. "Lyds? Lydia!"

"Come on, girl, wake up. You can do it." Riley said. Her hand grazed the Banshee's head. "I believe in you. I don't know you that well yet but I do," she whispered. Deaton's eyes widened as a ray of light emerged from Riley's hand.

Lydia gasped, her body lifting off the table as the hole in her head disappeared. She opened her eyes. Marlow sighed in relief. "Oh, thank God!" she engulfed her friend in a hug.

Riley looked down at her hand, eyes wide open. She looked over at Lydia. The hole in her head was gone. "What the hell just happened?"

She looked at Deaton. "Your powers are expanding," he told her. She stared at her hands once more.

The door to the clinic was thrown open. "Guys?!" Scott yelled as he, Stiles, and Natalie came running in. They halted, seeing Lydia in Marlow's arms.

Marlow smiled at them, giving them a thumbs-up. "You did it," she assured him. The girls pulled apart. Lydia smiled at her mother. "Mom?"

Natalie laughed joyously. She ran forward, wrapping her daughter in a hug. "Oh, honey."

"They saved my life, Mom. They saved me." Lydia said, looking at her friends.

Marlow, Riley, Scott, Stiles, and Deaton looked eyes. Riley raised her hand. Deaton chuckled and the two high-fived. "Marlow, where the hell have you been anyway?" Scott asked.

"I was a little pre-occupied." Marlow opened her jacket, revealing her bloody shirt. The wound had healed but she still felt as though a truck had hit her.

Stiles' eyes widened as he looked at his sister. "What happened? Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

Marlow waved her hand. "I'm fine," she assured him. Stiles gave her a look. She sighed. "Car accident. A Giant branch shot through my stomach. Mason and Doctor D saved me. Thank them."

Stiles' eyes seemed to widen even more and Marlow pulled him into a hug, assuring him she was fine. "No, but seriously, thank them," she said again. They pulled apart. Stiles shot her an amused look. "Seriously, I would be dead if it wasn't for Mason using 'find my phone'." she turned to her friends. "Also, I am pretty sure someone cut my breaks."

Riley raised her finger. "I wouldn't be surprised if Tracy did that to stop you from helping."

Marlow growled. "Well, she's lucky we got Lydia back, or else she would not be in walking condition right now," she said. "Also," she added. "Could someone help me get my car out of the woods?"

A light wave of laughter went around the room. Marlow was more than happy. Lydia was back, everyone was okay, herself included, and now their biggest worry was finding out who the Beast was and how to stop them.


	18. the bloody charity game

Marlow and Riley caught up with Stiles, Scott, Liam, and Chris as they all followed Parrish. Parrish, the Hellhound version of Parrish, was following the Beast around the school. They had encountered several dead bodies already. They had just been able to save Lydia, seeing people die around them again was unbearable for Marlow.

They all came to a stop once they met up again, watching as a man on the bus looked up at them. He looked close to death. Everyone else on the bus already was dead. Marlow's heart skipped a beat. "Help me."

Scott took a step forward, halting as Parrish walked towards the bus. "It's a trap."

"Please..." the man begged again.

Scott gave Parrish a look. The Hellhound turned back. Riley had previously found her uncle's alter ego fascinating. Now, it was just terrifying to think about what kind of nightmare it would lead them to next. "You can't help him," Parrish told Scott.

He turned back to the bus as the upper half of the man's body fell from the bus and onto the floor, guts still attached. Riley gagged and turned away from the scene. Marlow was frozen in place. Stiles steadied Riley as the girl tried her best not to throw up.

Finally, the Beast revealed itself to the group. Marlow was afraid of another panic attack hitting her. She controlled her breathing as best as she could. Liam turned his head to look at her, noticing her ragged breathing. He grabbed her hand, giving her a reassuring nod.

"That's big. No one said it was that big." Stiles spoke up.

"I did." Liam reminded him. Marlow squeezed his hand tighter. She needed something to hold on to. She felt like she was about to faint.

Flames began to engulf Parrish's entire body as he started chasing after the Beast. The two disappeared through the trees. Scott, Stiles, and Chris ran towards the bus. Marlow was rooted to the floor. The Beast looked scarier than she could have ever imagined.

Liam stuck by her side, never letting go of her hand. "Thank you," she told Liam, raising their entwined hands.

"Anything to keep you sane," he assured her, a smile crossing his face.

Marlow smiled back at him. She knew it was wrong to do this with Liam. He was dating Hayden and that was her fault. She shouldn't have let him go. More roaring ripped her out of her thoughts. The Beast knew how to escape the Hellhound and it would be getting harder for them to stop it.

* * *

Marlow stood next to Mason by his locker. She had just seen Corey packing his bag in the boy's locker room and had run straight to Mason. She still believed in Corey and she knew Mason could keep him in town. "Just convince him to stay somehow!"

Mason sighed, closing the door to his locker. "Why? I understand why he'd want to leave town. Parrish burned him alive. He almost died."

"But you like him, don't you?" Marlow asked. Mason turned to her, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Well, you do. I know that because I know you. And right now a great guy is about to walk out of your life."

"It doesn't matter. He's with the bad guys now."

"Everyone deserves a chance at redemption." Marlow reminded Mason. He bit the inside of his cheek. "And shouldn't the fact that he's running away from Theo give you an indication that he's not a bad guy at all."

Mason leaned against the locker. "Maybe you're right." he looked up at her. Marlow smiled at him assuringly. He sighed once more, tightening his grip on his backpack strap. "Okay, fine. I'll go."

Marlow lightly hit him in the shoulder. "That's my boy!"

Mason walked off to the locker room, turning around to smile at her before rounding a corner. She gave him two thumbs-up. Even if she couldn't get her happy-ever-after, Mason might and that was all that mattered to her at the moment. Anything to distract herself from her crushing anxiety.

She was about to walk out of the building, trying to escape the next pack meeting, when Stiles and Scott spotted her from down the hallway. She groaned. "Crap!" she complained, trying to walk away before they get to her.

"Marlow!" Stiles yelled. She quickened her pace. The boys caught up to her. Stiles put his hand on his sister's shoulder. "Marls, where are you going? We're having a meeting in a few minutes."

Marlow bit her lip. "I know."

Scott shot her a worried glance. "Are you okay?"

"No, not really," Marlow replied, her gaze fixed on the floor. Stiles put his finger under her chin, raising her head to look back at them. "I'm terrified," she admitted. "Of the Beast. And of more people dying. And many other things."

Scott sighed. "You could have said something."

"I don't want you to think I'm weak. Because I'm not!" she said intently.

Stiles nodded. "We know that."

Marlow clutched the necklace she was wearing tightly. "I just don't want to hold you back when I suddenly have another panic attack. What if it happens while we're fighting the Beast? Or Theo. Or the Dread Doctors. You get the hint."

Scott put his hand on Marlow's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "Hey, no matter what happens, we won't hate you for it. If you want to take a step back, that's okay. And if you do fight with us, remember we'll have your back. No matter what."

Marlow flashed him a tight-lipped smile. She was still terrified. But knowing her friends had her back made her feel immensely better. "Okay. Thanks," she told them. "Just, call me if you need help with something. We all know I'm still the best researcher on this team."

The boys smiled at her. "Of course."

* * *

Marlow jumped out of the Jeep as she, Scott, and Stiles arrived at Stepping Stones. The rehabilitation center had been housing Coach Finstock for the previous seven months. Marlow was told that the first big lacrosse game of the season had to be stopped or else the Beast would attack.

The substitute wouldn't do it, so Coach needed to return to the job. "Are we sure this going to work?" Marlow asked the boys.

They turned to her, raising their brows. "Why wouldn't it?" Stiles asked.

"Seriously?" Marlow asked. "You're going to ask Coach to return to his dead-end job after months of living in this place where he probably gets pampered every day?"

"We don't need him to return full-time. We just need him to forfeit the game." Stiles reminded her. Marlow was unconvinced. Her look let them know so. Stiles sighed, grabbing her hand. He pulled her towards the front door of the building. "He can go right back after he cancels the game. It's going to work."

Marlow sighed, rolling her eyes. They walked into the center. The trio didn't have to search long for Coach. Not at all. He was lying down on the couch and Marlow's scruples about the plan intensified. "Oh, my damn. Will you look at that?" she asked, pointing at an unresponsive Coach. "Coach is catatonic. We're all going to die."

Stiles waved her off. The trio walked around the couch. "Hey, Coach, it's Scott and Stiles." Scott greeted him as they sat down. Marlow lightly hit him in the arm. "And Marlow."

Coach remained unresponsive. Stiles waved his hand over his face. Marlow gave him a weirded-out look. "Coach, You're in rehab. You didn't have a lobotomy." Stiles said.

"Coach?" Scott asked once more. Marlow groaned out in annoyance. Nothing could ever go off without a hitch.

Stiles leaned forward, trying to touch the chess game on the table. Marlow jumped as Coach's hand shot forward, grabbing Stiles' arm. "Don't you touch it," he demanded. He sat up. "I've got Nurse Gonzalez by the balls of the last three moves and she knows it."

Marlow rolled her eyes. Of course, he was faking it. She should have known better. "Let it go. You're checking out of this place now." Stiles told him.

Coach shushed Stiles before he was even done speaking. "Not a chance."

"Okay, Coach. But, we know you're fine." Scott chimed in.

Coach shushed them once more. "I have a debilitating disease." he started, reenacting himself taking a sip. "It's called 'I'm not going to take another arrow to my stomach-phobia.' Look it up." he demanded angrily.

"Nobody's shooting arrows at anyone, okay? We just need you to coach the charity game." Scott assured him.

Marlow closed her eyes, cringing as Coach scoffed. She knew they wouldn't be able to make him come back. "Charity? Not a chance."

"How exactly have you been conning them into letting you stay here?" Stiles asked.

"I, uh... I have relapses. It's... It's serious. I've had seven of them."

"So once a month?" Scott asked.

"Yeah, you see, uh, every time they are just about to discharge me, I relapse," he replied.

"And no one's noticed that pattern?" Stiles asked.

"I have phenomenal health insurance." Coach replied. "So why don't you guys get the hell out of here. I hate charity games. They're meaningless."

"I don't think the charities would agree," Stiles told him.

Coach sighed. "What's it for this year?"

"Cancer," Scott replied.

"For or against?"

"Oh, my God!" Marlow yelled out.

"Against, Coach. Deeply against." Stiles replied.

"Yeah, okay, well, I'm deeply not interested," Coach told them.

Marlow groaned, pulling Stiles off the couch. "That's it!" she demanded. "Hey Coach." she greeted with a fake-warm smile.

"Cut the crap. What do you want?" Coach asked instantly.

Marlow dropped the fake smile. She had always appreciated Coach for getting to the point. There was no ass-kissing with him. "Awesome," she told him. She swung one leg over the other, getting ready to finish the plan for the boys once more. "Okay, here's what's gonna happen. You're gonna stand up, get out of your high fashionable bathrobe, into your pretty tracksuit and forfeit the game tonight. And you know why? Just two days ago, I got into a car accident, and look at me now, sitting here and talking to you. If I can survive a car accident, you can survive forfeiting a High School lacrosse game."

"So that's it. Just forfeit?" Coach asked.

"That's it. After that, you can go back here and do your thing."

Coach was silent for a few seconds. Then, he smiled at her. "Sold."

A cunning smirk crossed Marlow's face as she winked at the boys. "Seriously?" Stiles asked Coach.

He shrugged. "At least she gets to the point. You should send her more often." Coach said.

Marlow got off the couch, clapping her hands together. "Alright, boys. Let's do some charity!"

* * *

Marlow and Riley settled in on the benches. The game would start soon. Everyone had a part to play. Scott, Stiles, Liam, Kira, and Malia were discussing their next moves inside the building. Mason and Corey were searching Devenford Prep's bus, trying to find a bloody shoe with the right size.

Marlow pointed down to Brett as he got ready with his teammates. "So, that's Brett Talbot. He's Liam's former rival. Possible frenemy, I don't know, don't ask." she said, waving her hand as Riley shot her a confused glance. "Anyways," she continued. "His sister Lori should be arriving soon. She'll help us look for shoes in the crowd in case anything goes wrong."

"Got it. And you're sure this will work out?"

Riley turned to Marlow. Her best friend sighed. "I think at this point you should expect everything to go downhill always. Stay positive though."

Riley chuckled. "Okay."

The Cyclones got ready. Marlow watched as Stiles went to talk to Coach. "Here we go," she told Riley. The werecoyote-witch shot her an uncertain look. She had been having a bad vibe about the plan all day. It seemed too easy.

Marlow looked over at the next row of bleachers. Hayden had just settled down next to Sydney. She caught Marlow looking at her. The two girls nodded at each other, smiling tightly. "I can't believe you're all buddy-buddy with her."

"I'm not all 'buddy-buddy' with her." Marlow insisted. She sighed, noticing Riley's disapproving look. "I know. But it was my dumb ass who broke up with Liam. It's not like he cheated on me with her. Or dumped me for her. This isn't Hayden's fault. I made a mistake and now I'm paying for it."

"I'm not disputing that it was a stupid move to break up with Liam even though you still love him. But I am saying that, in the end, I will always stick by your side. I know your struggles with boys and relationships and Liam could have fought for you. But, since you do want to play nice, I guess I will do so as well."

Marlow smirked at her. "You wanna chew her out badly, don't you?"

Riley clenched her fists, looking up at the sky. "So badly!"

Marlow chuckled, wrapping her arm Riley. She never knew how much she needed a best girl friend her age. "I love you," she told Riley. The two jumped, eyes-wide-open as Coach blew the whistle to start the game. "Oh-oh."

Players stormed the field and the game started. "Okay, what the hell?" Riley asked.

"Uhm," Marlow mumbled. She looked around the field, trying to find any of her friends. Scott, Liam, and Kira were on the field already. Her eyes wandered towards the news vans. Stiles was talking to their dad. Marlow knew their Plan B was going into action. She turned to Riley, slapping her hands on her thighs. "We're gonna go look for a bloody shoe."

* * *

Marlow ran around under the bleachers, quietly looking at the soles of everyone's shoes. The game was in full swing and the plan was in motion. Running in between the bleachers, Marlow could see Malia on the news vans, ready to rip out the electrical wires when the time came.

She shared a look with Riley. Her best friend hadn't found anything either. Marlow could see Lori was already looking for shoes as well. She looked out onto the field, eyes widening as she watched Kira tear through Devenford Prep's players. Something was wrong with her and it was getting worse with every second.

She kept looking around until she heard another whistle blow. She ran back to the walkway, watching as the referee made Kira get off the field. The young Kitsune stomped off the field. Scott dashed after her. Kira mumbled something in Japanese and pushed past Marlow. Lori walked out onto the walkway, looking over at Scott. He nodded at her. She rushed after Kira.

Marlow sighed and dropping her head against the banister. There was no one with a size ten bloody shoe in the audience and the game was still going on. Malia hadn't taken out the news vans yet. No one had made progress on their parts.

But she couldn't stop now. They could do it. They just had to keep going. Marlow wasn't about to give up, so she went back to searching the bleachers as the game continued. She checked her phone every few minutes. Mason hadn't checked in. Marlow and Riley reunited in the walkway. "Anything?" Marlow asked.

Riley shook her head. "Nada." Marlow sighed. The girls looked out at the field. Liam had gotten hurt. He sat down on the benches. Hayden walked up to him. "That could have been you," Riley told Marlow.

Marlow groaned in annoyance, giving her best friend a look. "Just. Don't."

Riley scrunched up her nose. "Okay, sorry."

Marlow grew quiet, looking at the kissing couple. She knew Riley was right but if she kept obsessing over it, then she'd never be happy again. The girls stayed in the walkway, watching as Stiles and Liam ran back out onto the field and started playing again. The game went on and Liam finally scored a point. The crowd cheered.

"I seriously have a bad feeling. You don't even understand." Riley spoke up.

But Marlow could. She could hear Riley's heart racing and she was starting to freak out again as well. Marlow narrowed her eyes, watching as Stiles started messing around with Sydney's foot. She hadn't even noticed him getting off the field. He kept pulling at the girl's foot until she kicked him in the head.

Marlow was about to go slap her brother but Sydney didn't seem to have noticed that he was the one who grabbed her. Stiles fell to the floor, so Marlow rushed over to him. She picked him up and steadied him. "I could have told you it wasn't her," she said. He groaned out, holding his head. "It's no one in the audience."

Riley raised her hand, putting it up to the side of his head. She closed her eyes. A bright light emanated from her hand and Stiles breathed in and out slowly. Marlow watched her in awe. "Your new powers are so awesome." Riley let out an overjoyed laugh.

They watched the board as the game was finally about to end. Liam was on the floor in front of the goal. The referee blew the whistle. "That's overtime!"

"Yes!" Marlow yelled out. She high-fived Riley. Suddenly, a loud noise ripped through the night. Marlow and Riley covered their ears. The noise was too loud. Marlow breathed out in pain. Finally, the noise stopped. There was a roar in the distance. Marlow, Riley, and Stiles watched as Liam followed it off the field.

People started rushing off the field. Riley pulled Marlow out of the way before she was run over by the hoards of people. "Liam. Liam, wait!" Stiles yelled. The trio rushed after Liam, watching in horror as he and the Beast jumped at each other.


	19. the beast

Marlow and Riley pushed open the doors to the school, allowing Stiles and Hayden to carry Liam inside. They rushed into the nearest classroom. Marlow could still hear the Beast roaring outside. It was closing in on the building.

"The desk, the desk!" Stiles instructed.

Stiles and Hayden put Liam on the table. Marlow could hear people screaming and running all around outside the door. Her heart raced as she looked down on Liam's chest. It was covered in slashes. Deep slashes. Liam screamed, clearly in pain.

"Liam," Hayden said.

"I'm okay. I'm fine." Liam insisted.

"Oh, God," she gasped as Hayden pulled the strips of ripped fabric from his jersey off his chest. The wounds looked much worse than she thought. Riley gagged next to her, turning away from Liam. Marlow rubbed her back, trying to keep her from throwing up.

"What? Is it bad?" Liam asked worriedly.

"No," Hayden replied.

"Very," Stiles added.

"So bad!" Riley insisted. "I think you might die, honestly."

"Okay. Okay." Hayden chimed in. "What do you guys usually do when this happens?"

"Oh, I usually pass out. And I think I still might do that," Stiles replied. His eyes went glassy and Marlow left Riley's side to steady him.

"Stiles!" Hayden yelled.

"Okay, okay. Okay. Scott did this with pain. He could trigger it. Pain makes you human."

"He's already in pain." Hayden needlessly reminded him.

"Right, okay, but maybe adding a little more could help take away the pain," Stiles told her.

Liam sat up with a start, screaming out in pain once more. Riley pushed Hayden out of the way. "I'll do it!" she yelled frustratedly. She pushed Liam back on the table. Putting her hand on his chest, she closed her eyes to focus her energy on his wounds.

Marlow watched as Liam slowly calmed down. Her heartbeat steadied as Riley worked her magic. People outside were still screaming and Marlow felt as though she needed to go and do something. She and Riley shared a look. Riley nodded at her. "This could take a bit."

"I'll go outside and look for the others," Marlow announced as she rushed towards the door.

Stiles dashed after her, blocking the door before Marlow could exit the room. "Are you out of your mind? In case you forgot, there is a Beast out there!" he yelled. Marlow rolled her eyes, a sigh escaping her lips. "I know, I don't need to tell you. I just..."

He sighed, throwing his hands in the air defeatedly. "I'll be careful. You just make sure Riley and Liam stay safe." Marlow assured him. She pulled him into a hug. She didn't want to leave. She would have much rather stayed and made sure everyone was safe, but she needed to know her friends were safe.

They pulled apart and Stiles reluctantly stepped away from the door. Marlow turned around one last time, watching as Stiles walked back over to her friends and Riley was still busy healing Liam. She sighed, hoping everyone would be okay, and then walked out of the door.

* * *

Marlow dashed through the hallways, trying to get out of the school. The Beast was hot on her heels and she was trying to outrun it. She was on her way to the library. So far she hadn't found Scott, Kira, or Malia and it worried her immensely.

She ran out of the building and towards the library, trying to control her breathing. The people in the audience seemed to have found hiding spots by that point. She would have howled for Scott but it would have alerted the Beast to her location. Not to mention that there were dozens of humans in the building.

She fumbled for her library card, swiping it through the card reader. Once inside the library, she took a deep breath. The Beast's roars were growing quieter. "Marlow?" someone whispered. The werecoyote gasped, trying not to jump. She looked up to see Scott leaning against a desk.

He was cut up badly and didn't look that well in general. "Oh, thank God!" Marlow said, dashing over to him. "Are you okay? Have you seen Kira and Malia?"

"I'll be fine. Kira's still inside the school with Lori. I don't know where Malia is," he replied. The two looked at the door as the Beast's roars came closer once more. "Did you see Stiles, Liam, or Riley?"

"They're still inside the building. Liam tried to fight the Beast and got hurt." Scott sighed. Marlow raised her hand. "Riley's healing him as we speak. He will be fine. I told Stiles to stay with them. I just had to find out if you guys are okay."

Scott pulled Marlow into a hug. He knew she was about to freak out and couldn't let her have a panic attack while the Beast could attack any second. "We're gonna be okay. We're all gonna be okay."

Marlow nodded as they pulled apart. She knew she couldn't freak out. Not when they were about to fight for their life. Scott's gaze wandered past her. He narrowed his eyes, looking in between the bookshelves. Marlow turned around to see what he was looking at.

There were students huddled up everywhere around the library. Scott nodded up at the banister. The kids stayed where they were, not understanding Scott's implication. The Beast roared once more. "Go upstairs!" he finally whispered at them.

The students ran. Scott watched them, making sure everyone was up the stairs in time. Marlow's gaze was fixed on the door. Her heart began to pound in her chest. The Beast's footsteps neared. Marlow's breathing came out in ragged heaps but she would fight to keep everyone safe. Suddenly, she felt Scott's hand on her arm. "Marlow, go!"

He pushed her into one of the aisles. She fell to the floor, watching in horror as Scott roared in the direction of the door. The Beast stepped into her field of vision, easily grabbing Scott. It tossed him around the library. No matter how many times he got up to attack, he always landed on the floor again.

Marlow jumped up off the floor. She dashed out of the aisle, roaring at the Beast. She had sat back and let everyone else take the front lines long enough. It was time for her to do something. So instead of sitting down and crying in a corner, she mustered up all of her courage, jumped onto a nearby table, and jumped up to kick the Beast across the face.

She was able to land a hit but the creature had some heavy resistance to it. It tossed her back onto the table with the flick of a wrist. She landed on the hard wooden surface on the table with a groan. "God damnit!" she cursed. Marlow sat up, a snarl escaping her lips. She was about to stand up when, suddenly, Liam dashed past her and got another hit on the Beast.

She ducked as shots rang out behind her. Riley pulled her off the table and sent one of the chairs flying the Beast's way. It hit the creature in the head, shattering the wood upon contact. Marlow turned to see Braeden shooting at the Beast, Malia roaring at it next to her. She breathed a sigh of relief, knowing all of her friends were safe. For now.

The Beast escaped through the big glass-paned window. Malia rushed to Scott's side and helped him up off the floor. Marlow reached out her hand for Liam to grab. She pulled him up and looked at him and Riley. "Where are Stiles and Hayden?"

"They're still inside the school. I told them to stay behind until further notice." Riley replied.

Marlow nodded as the group united. "You didn't seriously think you were gonna have a chance against that thing, did you?" Braeden asked Scott and Marlow.

Marlow didn't know what to answer. She sure didn't. But she didn't want to let Scott fight on his own either. She shrugged, trying to slow her breathing. "I just followed the leader."

"I didn't," Scott replied. "But I got its scent."

Riley raised her hands, eyes widening. "Well, then, lead us to the promised land."

Scott nodded towards the exit. Marlow turned to Malia and Braeden. "Uhm, can you just...make sure everyone in here stays safe?" she asked. They nodded and Marlow followed Riley, Scott, and Liam out of the building.

"Scott, wait. You're hurt. You gotta slow down." Liam spoke up.

Marlow looked over at his chest. The wounds were gone. He and Riley had done a bang-up job on healing them as quickly as they did. "And you're fine now? Riley did well?"

Liam looked at his chest, then back up at her, and nodded. "I've already thanked her though," he said. Marlow narrowed her eyes in confusion. "Before you make me do it," Riley smirked at the duo. She would never say it out loud, but they belonged together.

"Ah!" Marlow said, raising her finger with a nod. "Got it."

The trio dashed after Scott, navigating through the cars in the parking lot. "Scott, wait! Slow down!" Marlow yelled, nearly crashing into Riley as she came to a halt. Scott and Liam had stopped too. "Not that hard!"

Everyone grew silent as Scott hunkered over a car and cracked the trunk of it open. He pulled out a bloody shoe, the one thing the girls had been looking for all night. Looking over the car once more, Marlow's heart skipped a beat as she realized something. Scott closed the trunk as Mason walked up to them. "Scott?"

"No," Marlow said, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. "This isn't real," she whispered. Riley raised her eyebrows in confusion.

"What are you doing in my car?" Mason asked.

Riley's jaw dropped. "Holy hell."

"It's you," Scott said.

"What? Liam, what's he talking about?" Mason asked. Marlow leaned onto a nearby car, trying to keep herself from passing. No one said a word. "Liam?"

"This isn't happening!" Marlow insisted. She looked up just as Corey materialized in front of a nearby car. He grabbed Mason.

"Corey, wait!" Scott warned.

Marlow pushed herself off the car and dashed towards the two. "Corey, sweetie, no."

The boys disappeared, leaving their shocked friends behind. "Corey, wait!" Scott yelled again, pushing past Marlow.

Marlow stared at the space in front of her, trying to keep herself from crying. It wasn't the time. Now was the time to try and find a way to save Mason. There had to be some kind of way to it. Mason wasn't gone. He wasn't a killer. Mason could get her best friend back and she would make sure it got done.


	20. mason

Riley sat next to the Sheriff in his car. She narrowed her eyes at the street, trying to make out, Jordan's car. "What is he thinking? Am I just an afterthought to my entire family?" she asked angrily. Begrudgingly, she had to let Marlow, Scott, and Liam go to figure out how to save Mason to keep her uncle from skipping town without her.

"No, you're not," Noah assured her. She gave him a look. He sighed. "Your uncle is scared of what he can do. That's why he's leaving. It has nothing to do with you." The phone rang. Riley looked at the display. Lydia was calling. She sighed. Riley had no idea what Lydia, Chris, and Gerard had done with Jordan, but she didn't like it.

Jordan was the only person outside of Marlow and Mason she truly trusted in Beacon Hills. He was the last of her family to still be alive. She barely knew Lydia and Chris. And she sure as hell didn't trust Gerard. "Lydia!" Noah said.

"I just came from his place. Half of his stuff was gone. You can't let him leave."

"It's okay. I got a call from Dispatch. He's headed for the highway." Noah told her. Riley rubbed her forehead. Mason, one of her oldest friends, being the Beast was already enough of a sobering reality but her uncle abandoning her was a whole other thing.

"Can you stop him?" Lydia asked.

"Stopping him is one thing. Getting him to turn around..."

"Leave that to me," Lydia told him. She hung up the phone.

Riley clenched her fist. "I can feel him. He's not far away," she told Noah. He nodded, speeding up the car.

"Should I be concerned about why you know that?"

"It's..." Riley sighed. "It's a family thing. Before she died, my mom told me that we would always find one another. No matter where in the world we are, we can find one another. I don't know if it's a special family power we have or if she was just saying that so I wouldn't feel alone but it's worked every time."

Expect for all the times she tried to locate her uncle during the last decade. But she'd find out what that was about once they saved Mason. "I put up a roadblock a little further up. He'll stop there one way or another." Noah told her. He stopped the car, turning off the engines and lights. He turned to Riley. "If Lydia can't convince him to stay with all of her supernatural know-how, I want you to try it."

Riley nodded. Her uncle's car sped down the street, coming to a halt as he drove over the spike-strips on the floor. The tires blew out and he turned off his engine. Climbing out of the car, he looked lost as he let out a big sigh. Noah turned on the lights and sirens of the cruiser, alerting Jordan to their presence.

The Sheriff climbed out of the driver's seat and closed the door. "I don't remember giving you any vacation time."

"Those were new tires."

"Well..." Sheriff started. "Well, they're scrap rubber, now," he went on. Jordan sighed. "How about I call a tow for you?"

"I'll call one myself," Jordan replied, turning back to the car.

Noah crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Are you gonna call your niece too? Let her know you're skipping town without her?"

Riley saw that as her cue to exit the car. She took a deep breath and stepped out of the vehicle just as Lydia arrived in her car. "Well, well, well, uncle dearest. Looks who didn't show up for dinner this time around."

Lydia climbed out of her car and walked over to the trio. Jordan sighed once again. "You're all out of your minds. You know that?"

"You can't leave." Lydia insisted.

"I can't stay. I'm a Hellhound. I have the word, 'Hell' in my name. Hell."

"You're also one of my best deputies." Noah chimed in.

"You guys don't get it. The bodies I see in my dream are because of me. And there's gonna be more. A lot more."

"I've been predicting death longer than you. The things I've seen and felt..." Lydia started, shaking her head as if in thought. "They don't always happen."

"What if those people die because you didn't stay?" Noah asked.

"Because you weren't there to protect them," Lydia added. "You said you were drawn to Beacon Hills. I think you're here for a reason."

Riley walked up to him. "You're a Hellhound, a creature of death..." she started, looking over at Lydia. "And a great Deputy," she nodded at Noah, then turned back to Jordan. "But above all else, you're my uncle. The only family I have left. I thought you were dead for ten years. Now I know you're alive and I was willing to move in with you and get to know you and then you just decide to up and leave just as things are getting worse."

"You don't understand, Riley. I wanted to leave you here because I'm dangerous. You're much better off with Marlow and the Sheriff. They can keep you safe. I'll put you in more danger."

"I'm old enough to know what's dangerous or not."

"You're sixteen. You really aren't."

Riley closed her eyes and sighed. "I may only be sixteen, but I'm also a werecoyote-witch who has seen more messed up stuff in the last few weeks than she could have ever imagined," she reminded him. She walked closer towards him. "I know living with you is going to be a roller coaster of emotions and that there might be some dangerous twists and turns lurking along the way, but I also know that you're my family. And I need you in my life. So, please, consider staying."

There was a beat of silence as Riley, Noah, and Lydia waited for an answer. "Hey," Noah spoke up, throwing Jordan his badge. The Deputy looked at it, then back at Riley. He pulled her into a hug. Riley smiled, knowing she had managed to put out at least one fire.

* * *

Marlow, Riley, Stiles, Malia, Kira, Lydia, and Liam were gathered in the McCall house. No one had gotten any sleep the previous night. They had all been out looking for Mason or trying to help with the search in other ways. Marlow let out a small sigh, rubbing her forehead as she tried to think of how this could have happened.

As far as she knew, Mason had never had a skin graft or an organ transplant. He couldn't have been a genetic Chimera. "My dad's got an APB out..." Stiles spoke up. Marlow was ripped out of her thoughts.

"For a 5'8" 16-year-old?" Kira asked.

"I recommended nine-foot-tall rampaging werewolf," Stiles replied sarcastically. Marlow lightly hit him in the arm, shaking her head as he looked at her. She wasn't up for humor. Not when her best friend's life was on the line.

"It still might not be him." Liam chimed in. Marlow gave him a look. She wanted to live in denial too, but it wouldn't help them in their situation. "But, Hayden's at the school looking."

"I can keep checking the woods." Malia offered.

Riley raised her hand. "And I can keep a look-out for Chamelecorey. I can usually sense when he's around..." she got to thinking, narrowing her eyes at the scene around her. "Unless he finally learned how to control his anxiety."

"My mom can check all the hospitals in the county. We can find him." Scott spoke up as he walked into the kitchen. Marlow sighed in relief, happy to see that his wounds had healed.

"What happens then?" Liam asked.

"We figure out a way to save him," Scott replied.

"Okay. Where else could we look?" Lydia asked.

Marlow raised her eyebrows, looking over at Scott. She had checked all the spots they went to as kids already. But she also knew Corey wouldn't be dumb enough to take Mason anywhere they knew. "Let's ask Corey," Scott replied. Marlow narrowed her eyes in confusion.

Scott reached stuck out his hand, grabbing a fistful of Corey's shirt. The boy materialized in front of them. Marlow jumped off the counter. Riley pointed at him. "Aha! So he did finally manage to escape my spidey senses!"

"Wait. Wait. It's not my fault. They took him and I couldn't do anything. They took him..." Corey insisted.

"Who?" Scott asked.

"The Dread Doctors," he replied.

Marlow closed her eyes and sighed. "Scott, move." Scott looked over at her, shaking his head once he understood where this was going. "I said," Marlow emphasized. She walked over to the boys and pulled Scott off of Corey. "Move!"

She grabbed Corey by his shirt collar, looking him directly in the eyes. "I've given you the benefit of the doubt more than enough times, Corey Bryant. Because I believe that you're just a scared kid in need of the right friends. I still believe that. But, Mason is my best friend - my brother. If I find out you're lying to me, putting him in more danger, I will hurt you so bad you won't be able to walk for months. Got it?"

Corey nodded eagerly. "I'm not lying, I swear." he insisted. Marlow narrowed her eyes at him. There was no fear in his eyes. Just determination. She knew then and there that Corey wanted to save Mason just as much as they did.

She nodded and let go of his collar. "I believe him," she said.

"You do?" Liam asked.

She looked over at him. He was just as worried about Mason as her and she needed him to trust her that she was making the right call. "Yes. I trust him completely."

Liam nodded. "Alright, where do we go from here?"

"I have an idea," Scott replied. "But you're not gonna like it." Marlow narrowed her eyes at him. "We need to talk to Theo."

Marlow crossed her arms in front of her chest, fighting the urge to scream. It would be a cold day in hell before she put her best friend's life in the hands of a teen maniac "You're right, I don't like that idea. In fact, absolutely hate it and think you're insane."

"We've exhausted all other options for now. I'm not saying that we tell him everything but he might have some answers, given the fact that he's working with the Dread Doctors. Please, just trust me on this one."

Marlow growled. She knew he was right but she also knew Theo had some ulterior motive. Some other plans for Mason. He didn't care about him. He just wanted what was inside of him. "I'm coming with you," she insisted. Scott opened his mouth to answer. Marlow raised her hand. "Don't you dare deny me. I'll come with you, one way or another."

Scott sighed. "Fine. Just...remember, we're doing this to save Mason. If you go in there and kick his ass we might get nothing."

"I know, Scott! Let's just go before I change my mind," she said, teeth clenched. She turned to Riley. "My car is still being fixed and I'm here on my old bike. Feel free to take that and go to school. Corey can go with you."

Marlow was oddly calm and it freaked Riley out. Stiles stayed silent, knowing full well if one person said the wrong thing, his sister would go nuclear. "How is Corey gonna come with me?"

"He can ride on the carrier thingy," she replied, in a low whisper.

Corey shot Marlow a fearful look. He turned to Riley. "I'll fade us out," she assured him in a hushed tone.

Marlow took a deep breath. "Okay, boys, let's go. We have a friend to save and not much time to do it."

* * *

Marlow, Scott, and Liam rushed towards the boy's locker room. Marlow was still fuming. She had tried to calm herself down, knowing that her angry outbursts wouldn't get them anywhere. But it was hard to stay calm while everything around her was crumbling to the ground and she had no control over it.

"How stupid are we to be doing this?" Liam asked.

Marlow sighed. She wanted to keep her cynicism to herself but the extenuating circumstances made it hard for her to stay quiet. "Extremely stupid."

"We're not stupid. We're desperate." Scott chimed in.

"How desperate?" Liam asked.

The three stopped in front of the door. Scott sighed, giving Marlow and Liam a look. "Incredibly desperate."

He pushed the door open, revealing Theo and Tracy already waiting for them inside the locker room. Marlow groaned. "This bitch? Really?"

Tracy smirked at her. "I see you survived your encounter with the tree branch."

"I sure did. How about you come over here and let me kick your ass to repay the favor?"

Marlow took a step forward, trying to get to Tracy when Scott stuck out his arm and held her back. He looked her in the eyes. "Marlow, this is not why we came here," he needlessly reminded her. She growled under her breath but decided to stand down nonetheless. If only to ensure Mason's safety.

"I told you we'd end up on the same side," Theo spoke up.

"How about I punch you in the balls to remind you we're not?" Liam asked.

Marlow smirked at him. If there was one person that wanted to beat Theo's ass as much as she did, it was Liam.

Theo chuckled. "I love this kid."

"I don't," Tracy added.

"Shut up, lizard girl," Marlow demanded.

Scott raised a hand. Marlow took a deep breath, trying not to snap. "We know you're not on our side, Theo. You said you wanted to help Lydia, but you left Eichen with something else, didn't you?"

"You mean the mask?" Theo asked. "Are you worried about that?"

"Did you put it on?" Scott asked. "Who did you see?"

"Not Mason."

"What's that mean? It's not him?" Liam asked.

"It probably means he's a lost cause." Tracy chimed in.

Marlow turned to her, eyes glowing blue. "Okay, that's it," she said. She dashed forward, striking Tracy across the face. Scott pulled her back by the wrist. She shook off his hand angrily as Tracy nursed the side of her cheek.

"We all want the same thing. We want Mason back," Theo piped up, ignoring Marlow's sudden outburst like it was nothing to him.

"Oh, spare us," Marlow sneered.

Scott shot her a glare. Marlow clenched her fists. Scott turned back to Theo. "Okay, but the difference is that we want him back alive."

"Well, I'm open to compromise," Theo told him. "You still got the map with telluric currents on it?" Theo asked. Scott remained silent. "Bring it to the operating theater in two hours."

No one said another word. The lines had been drawn. The plan was set. Scott turned towards the door. Marlow stood still, glaring at Theo. She didn't trust anything he had planned. Liam grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the locker room with him. "He's not worth it."

Scott closed the door. He turned to Marlow and Liam and gave Marlow a look. "I told you to stay calm."

"Oh, I was calm. Trust me."

"How desperate are we?" Liam asked.

Scott sighed, looking at the two. "Incredibly."

"Let's just get the damn map and go to the woods," Marlow said, trying to push past Scott.

He put his hand on her shoulder, shaking his head. "You're not coming to the theatre with us."

"Scott!" Marlow yelled. She didn't want to go back to what had happened earlier in the year, but if he stopped her from saving Mason's life she might pull a Gerard and murder a pack of Chimera's.

"I'm sorry. But we need this to work out. And I can't have you there if you're gonna try and hurt Theo."

Marlow scoffed, raising her hands. "Fine. But I am not gonna just sit back and do nothing."

"You can stay posted in the woods. In case we need back-up. But, please, try to calm down."

Marlow nodded. She didn't trust Theo but she trusted Scott. He was her Alpha, one way or another. So instead of bitching about it any further, she called Riley and rerouted her from the school to the forest.

* * *

Riley slapped another tree branch out of her face. She groaned. "I hate the woods!" she complained. And she hated Scott's plan too. Every last cell in her body rebelled against the idea of helping Theo Raeken with anything. Every last alarm bell in her head went off and she was getting nothing but bad vibes.

Marlow sighed. She halted, trying not to scream. She wanted nothing more than to just get rid of Theo and save Mason. She definitely didn't want to trudge through brushes, following Scott, Liam, and Theo around in hopes of getting Mason back before the Dread Doctors start experimenting on him.

She looked at her phone. It was getting late and no one else had gotten back to her. She sighed, shoving her phone into the back pocket of her jeans. "I don't know if we're going to get him back," she admitted.

Riley stopped picking leaves out of her hair and looked up at Marlow. "What do you mean?" she couldn't have Marlow give up. They had made progress. Even if she hated part of said progress.

Marlow threw up her hands. "I just..." she started. Her eyes wandered around the forest. "Look at this! Look at everything we're doing right now. Everything that's happened. This was supposed to be my year. I had a pack, Mason finally knew about our existence, Liam and I were still together. And now, we're following a teen maniac around the woods in hopes of finding our beastly best frie-"

She stepped on a branch, losing her balance and falling on her face. Finally, she just screamed. Riley cringed at the sudden loud noise. "Okay..." she mumbled. She walked up behind her best friend, holding out her hand to her. "Take it. Come on."

Marlow sighed, grabbing onto her hand. Riley pulled her up off the floor. She started dusting off Marlow's jacket. "Now listen, we have a job to do. We might not like it. But it's what we signed onto when we accepted living with supernatural powers. Now, we need to save Mason and we need to do it now. So, are you in or not?"

Riley raised an eyebrow, tilting her head slightly. Marlow nodded. "Yes, of course. It's getting dark out. And we haven't seen the boys in the while. I think the operating theatre is somewhere down there." It was dark out by that time. But Marlow was able to see through the darkness. She looked down the hill, her eyes glowing blue.

She could make out the shed in the distance. She pointed down the hill. "Down there," she said determinately. She turned back to Riley. "Now let's go save our best friend."

They dashed down the hill. Marlow stuck out her arm, stopping Riley from running any further. "Holy-"

"Shucks!" Riley yelled, watching as her uncle jumped towards the Beast in all of his Hellhound glory. Scott and Liam stood at the door to the shed. Everyone was transfixed by the fight going on in front of them.

Shots rang out. Marlow turned her head to see Chris and Gerard shooting at the Beast. It fled onto the bridge. The group watched as it was engulfed in smoke. Marlow's heart skipped a beat, ready to see Mason again.

Only, when the smoke disappeared, it wasn't Mason standing in the Beast's place. It was a man. "La Bete Du Gevaudan! I know your name," Gerard spoke up. The man turned around. He was drenched in blood. "Do you remember mine?"

"Argent," the man replied in a french accent. He took off and Jordan ran after him.

Marlow, Riley, Liam, and Scott finally managed to move. They ran towards the bridge, halting as the Beast and the Hellhound disappeared into the woods. "Who the hell was that?" Scott asked.

"You've seen the Beast of Gevaudan. That was the Man," Gerard replied.

Chris looked at his father. "Sebastien Valet."

Marlow looked after the two fighting creatures as more roars rang through the night. If the Beast had turned into Sebastien Valet, then where the hell was Mason?


	21. going out with a bang

All the begging for an explanation from Chris didn't work. He took off after Jordan and the Beast with Gerard in tow. Then Scott and Liam took the last living Dread Doctor and brought him to Deaton to get more answers.

Marlow pocketed her phone. No news from anyone. But that didn't seem to matter anyway. Mason was gone. Marlow rubbed her forehead. Riley joined her side, lightly squeezing her shoulder. "I know," she started. Marlow rolled her eyes. She didn't need another lecture. It was hopeless. "Hey, listen to me. We're going to save Mason. Somehow. He will be back. Right now we need to get moving and do something. I locked Theo in the shed with a simple containment spell. It's going to wear off in like an hour but it's gonna give us a head start."

Riley crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Don't give me that look," she said. "Listen, I get it. You're tired of hearing pep talk after pep talk when nothing ever seems to work out but this isn't the first dire situation you've been in. It always works out somehow. And it will work out again this time."

Marlow sighed. "You're right. What do we do next?"

"Where is Theo?"

Marlow rolled her eyes and turned around to see Tracy stalking their way. She raised her arms. "I don't know, Tracy. Deep down he is a big 'ole coward. He might have skipped town already."

Riley bit her lip. Marlow was worse at being an actress than she was at being a liar. The containment spell would keep Tracy out for a bit but eventually, she'd find her way in and get Theo out. "Desperate times call for drastic measures," she mumbled.

"Just cut the crap and tell me where he is."

Riley picked up a nearby branch heavy enough to knock Tracy out and hit her over the head with it. Tracy groaned and went down on the floor. Marlow stared at Riley, eyes-wide-open. "Desperate times..."

Marlow nudged Tracy with her foot, turning her over. She was out cold. "Drastic measures." Marlow nodded. She looked up at Riley. "Where do we go from here? Because I have no idea what to do now."

Riley sighed. "I don't know what to do either. But..." she pulled her phone out of her pocket, waving it in front of Marlow's face. "Let's just call someone."

Before Marlow could ask any further questions, Riley had already dialed a number. "Hey, Liam! Give me a rundown?" she nodded as Liam explained everything to her. Marlow frantically waved her hands. "Okay, thank you. Good luck with everything. See you soon."

She hung up the phone and looked at Marlow once more. "Alright. Bad news first, the Dread Doctor is dead and the Beast remembered its name which is why we're stuck with Sebastien now. The good news though, they found a way for Mason to remember his real name. Which is why we need to get Lydia."

Marlow nodded. Riley grabbed her hand. "Hold on, Marls."

Marlow closed her eyes, bracing herself for what was to come. The two appeared inside the Sheriff's office. Marlow hunched over. "I will never get used to this," she croaked, trying not to throw up. She expected Riley to chuckle once more but the girl was quiet. Marlow straightened out. Her eyes widened upon seeing why Riley was so quiet.

Noah was laying on the floor of the bullpen, trying to get to his gun. Deputy Clark was unconscious. And Sebastien Valet had his claws in Lydia's throat as she screamed at him. He was flung across the room. Lydia fell to her knees. Blood streamed out of her neck, drenching her shirt. "Lyds!" Marlow yelled as she joined her side.

Hayden stood by the door. Sebastien got up once more, his gaze meeting Hayden's. "Hayden. Your name is Hayden," he said. He roared, rushing at her. Riley dashed to Hayden's side and shoved her out of the way.

She fell to her knees and hit the floor with a thud. "Riley!" Marlow yelled, eyes-wide-open as she looked at her best friend bleeding out on the floor in front of her. Noah grabbed a hold of Lydia. Marlow rushed over to Riley in a dazed state.

She ripped a piece off her shirt and pressed it onto the gaping wound on Riley's neck. "Oh, no," she whispered, tears filling her eyes. She pressed down on the wound. "What do I do?"

She looked around the bullpen. Clark was still out cold. Hayden was gone. Noah had picked Lydia up. Marlow looked back at Riley. Her best friend's eyes flickered back and forth between their normal green and their werecoyote blue color. "Riley, hold on. Hold on, girl, I'm gonna fix you."

"Sa... Save Mason," she uttered before her blue eyes faded and she went still.

Marlow's breath started to come out in ragged heaps. "Oh... Oh no," she mumbled, staring at her best friend's bloodied corpse. "Oh, my God." Tears started welling in her eyes. She tried catching her breath but it was as if it was escaping her lungs. Noah grabbed her hand. Marlow looked up at him. "What do I do?"

Noah sighed heavy-heartedly. "There's nothing you can do. I'm sorry."

Marlow started to sob, finally letting out emotions she had been stockpiling for nearly nine years. "No..." she insisted as her dad beckoned her to get up. She shook her head and tried to stay at Riley's side - even when Noah pulled her off the floor and out of the Sheriff's station. She had been so hell-bent on saving one friend, she completely lost sight of the others.

* * *

Marlow sat in the hospital's waiting room, trying to keep her crying under control. Her clothes and hands were stained with Riley's blood. Lydia would be fine. She was already getting treated by Melissa so she could use her voice again. But Marlow only halfway listened when Scott had explained that to her. Her mind was numbed.

She didn't even notice that Liam had sat down next to her until he started stammering. Marlow turned her head to look at him. "What?"

Liam shook his head. "Uh, well, I just said that I'm sorry about Riley."

Marlow nodded. "Me too," she said, though her voice barely rose from a whisper. There were tears welling in her eyes again. She pressed her palms into her eyes, trying to stop herself from crying. "How do I tell Parrish about this?"

"I'm sure your dad can do it," Liam replied. Marlow sniffled, rubbing her palms on her jeans. "Hey..." he grabbed her hand. She looked at him once more. "You know this isn't your fault, right? Sebastien killed Riley, not you."

Marlow let her head drop against the wall behind her. She might have not killed her, but she signed her death warrant when she brought her to Beacon Hills. "If it weren't for me, Riley would still be safe in LA."

"Yeah, where she was living out on the street and no one knew she existed and she thought her uncle was dead," Liam reminded her. Marlow sobbed. Liam sighed. "Sorry, but you know what I mean. Bringing Riley here was the right thing to do. She's not dead because of you."

Scott and Stiles rushed towards them, an injured Lydia in tow. "Liam, come on. We need to get to the tunnels and find Parrish." Scott told him. "Marlow..." he went on. "You don't have to go. Not with Riley..."

He sighed. Marlow sniffled defiantly and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Forget it," she stated. She got up from the chair. She didn't feel up for it. And she should have probably stayed and gotten herself under control but she had made a vow to save Mason. She wouldn't lose another best friend. "Riley didn't die for nothing."

* * *

Marlow tried to keep up with Scott, Lydia, and Liam. Theo was most definitely out of his containment and no one knew how much time they had left to get Mason back. Suddenly, the trio in front of her stopped walking. "Scott? You hear that?" Liam whispered.

"I heard that," Lydia replied.

"Lydia, save your voice," Scott said.

Marlow closed her eyes and listened to her surroundings. It sounded like electricity. She opened her eyes, realizing the tunnel floors were wet. "Oh no."

"Hey... Lydia, get out of the water!" Liam demanded. He shoved her against the wall as himself, Marlow, and Scott were electrocuted.

Marlow writhed on the floor as electricity ran through her body. She roared, the pain too much to bear. It stopped as quickly as it came and Marlow could see Theo shove Lydia down a manhole. Scott was able to grab her before she could fall. But Theo seemed to have everything planned out. He dug his claws into Scott's side. "Feel that, Scott?" he asked. "Kanima venom."

Marlow clenched her fists, trying to get up off the floor. "Just let it happen. Let it go. Let everything go," Theo went on.

"No!" Scott yelled. Marlow heard Lydia scream. The Beast roared in the distance.

"You hear that?" Theo asked. "That's the sound of real power."

He walked off and Marlow finally sat up. Her body was still aching from the shock but she would have time to rest once everything was over. Someone extended their hand out to her. She looked up, meeting eyes with Deucalion. "Holy hell."

"Nice to see you too, Marlow," Deucalion said. He pulled her off the floor, then Liam. "Now, why don't we go after Theo?"

Marlow raised her hands. "Hold the hell on! You're working with Theo."

"No, he's not," Scott chimed in as Liam helped him up. Marlow narrowed her eyes at him. "We've been working together the entire time."

Marlow threw her hands up, sighing defeatedly. "Seriously?"

Scott nodded. "Yes. Let's go."

Marlow couldn't believe Scott had been working with Deucalion the entire time. They rushed after Theo. He wasn't far away, already lying on the ground a few feet away. He looked up at Deucalion angrily. "You lied to me," he said. Deucalion crouched in front of him. "You and Scott..."

"That's right, Theo," Deucalion told him. He took off his sunglasses, revealing that he wasn't blind again after all. "The whole time."

"It would've never worked."

"It could have worked. With Belasko's talons." Deucalion said. He put his hands around Theo's face and twisted his head.

"You broke my neck," Theo gasped.

"And good luck with that," Deucalion said. He got up and turned to Scott and Liam. "There's an access grate that leads to the sublevel. I think we can get to Lydia there."

"What about Mason?" Liam asked.

"We can still save your friend."

"Let's go," Scott said.

They turned to walk away. Shots rang out. Marlow felt a bullet lodged itself into her spine. She groaned and fell to the floor next to Deucalion. "This just isn't my day."

Marlow nodded, looking over at him. "Tell me about it."

"This is a surprising alliance, Scott. You and Deucalion?" Gerard asked. Marlow roared. She knew they shouldn't have kept him around. "How long have you been planning this clever little double-cross?"

"About as long as he and I have been planning this one," Chris said. He walked up ahead and threw Scott a cane.

"What are you doing?" Gerard asked his son.

"I knew when I brought you back, it would never be about saving lives. Only about immortalizing your own," Chris replied. They pointed their guns at each other. "Scott, go." he went on. Scott worriedly looked at Marlow on the floor. She nodded at him. "Go, now!" Chris yelled.

Scott and Liam took off. Marlow watched in suspense as Chris and Gerard pointed their guns at each other wordlessly. She held her breath as a shot rang out. She looked up. Chris was fine. A sigh of relief escaped her lungs. Gerard had been hit. He took off. Chris turned around to Marlow and Deucalion. "Are you okay?"

Marlow nodded. "We'll be fine. Go. Catch your maniac father."

Chris lingered for a few seconds, then he took off after Gerard. Marlow groaned as she reached behind her back. She screamed, the pain burning through her entire body. Finally, she managed to pull the bullet out. She rolled it between her fingers, then tossed it aside. "Screw this day."

"We'll heal," Deucalion reminded her.

She waved him off. "I know that. I just..." she clenched her fists. She didn't even want to think of Riley.

"Hey, where's your new sidekick?" Theo suddenly asked. Marlow bit the inside of her cheek. She didn't owe Theo anything. "She's dead, isn't she?"

"Shut your mouth, Theo!"

"Sorry, it's just... I can smell her blood all over you. And I was just wondering," he started. Marlow wanted nothing more than to just get up and finally give Theo his well-deserved ass-kicking. "She's like this, werecoyote-witch, right? Wouldn't that give her more power? How come she didn't heal?"

"What do you care?"

"I don't. Not really, anyway. But I had just always wondered whether or not she would have been a good addition to my pack."

Marlow scoffed. "Considering you have both Josh and Tracy's powers, I don't think you have a pack at this point. Tell me Deucalion, did he kill the two?"

Deucalion nodded. "He most certainly did."

"Thought so."

"Though he does have a bit of a point," Deucalion mused.

"What?" Marlow asked. Her wound had just about healed and she was ready to go after Scott and Liam and get Mason back.

"A werecoyote-witch..." Deucalion whispered.

Marlow groaned. She was afraid he was about to start speaking in riddles, so instead of staying and listening, she pushed herself up off the floor. Slowly, she managed to get up. She groaned. She looked down at Deucalion, trying to keep her balance. "Go, save your friend. I have something I need to think about," he told her.

Marlow was confused. She didn't have time to stay though. So she took off, leaving Theo and Deucalion behind. Riley didn't die in vain. She would make sure of it. She followed the boys' scent, even though that was nearly impossible in the tunnels.

She nearly crashed into Lydia and Kira on the way. "Where have you been?" she asked Kira. Marlow hadn't seen the young Kitsune for hours.

Kira waved her off. "It doesn't matter. We have to get to the boys, now!"

The girls ran. Marlow had no idea where they were going but the girls seemed to know the way. Marlow could hear roaring. They arrived at an open door. Scott fell to the floor and Sebastien turned around. "Mason!" Lydia said. Sebastien walked towards them. Most likely to finish the job.

"I think you're gonna need to try it a little louder," Kira said.

Sebastien's eyes started glowing blue. He turned into the Beast right in front of their eyes. "Mason!" Lydia yelled. Marlow cringed, trying to drown the sound of Lydia's scream out. The Beast disappeared into a cloud of smoke. It roared out before completely disappearing. Lydia stopped screaming.

Marlow looked up as Mason stepped out of the cloud of smoke. Corey materialized in front of the wall and caught Mason in his arms. Marlow let out an excited gasp. She wrapped Lydia into a side hug. "You did it! Oh, my God."

The Beast screamed, trying to escape the tunnel in its smokey form. Parrish dashed at it, engulfed in fire. He held it in place and looked over at the group. "Scott!" he yelled. Scott looked at the cane in his hand, then tossed it at the Beast. It screamed out once more and eventually disappeared into thin air.

There was a stunned silence in the room. Parrish was back to his human self. The Beast had been defeated. Mason was safe. "Is everyone okay?" Scott asked.

"Not everyone," Theo chimed in before anyone could answer. He was engulfed in electric bolts. Marlow growled.

Kira pushed past her, her sword drawn. Theo hurled a lightning bolt at her. Kira deflected it with her sword. "The Skinwalkers have a message for you, Theo," she told him. Theo stopped being charged with Josh's power and shot Kira a confused glance. "Your sister wants to see you."

She stabbed her sword in the ground. It opened up before their eyes, swallowing Theo whole. "Scott, help me! No! No! Scott! Help me, Scott! No! Scott! Help me!"

Finally, Theo was swallowed up. A feeling of relief rushed over Marlow. Mason was safe. The Beast, the Dread Doctors, and Theo had finally been defeated. She rushed to Mason and wrapped her arms around him. "Oh, my God!" she gasped. She held back a sob. "I thought I would never see you again."

Mason squeezed back. Her phone rang. "Hold on," she mumbled. She pulled her phone out of her pocket. She looked at the display. It was Deaton. "Yeah?" she nodded. "Got it. They'll be right over," she told him. She hung up the phone and turned to Liam. "You better get to the animal clinic ASAP. It's about Hayden."

Liam's eyes widened. He looked over at Scott. The two took off. Marlow turned to Parrish, a lump forming in her phone. "We need to talk," she told him. She turned to the others. "Let's get out of here. I can't stand the sight of this place anymore."

* * *

Marlow walked towards the morgue. She had no idea what Deucalion wanted from her but it couldn't have been anything good. It had been two days. Parrish, as expected, didn't take the news about his niece's death well. Marlow had cried enough tears to water an entire garden.

She just wanted to start new. Work through Riley's death and finish the rest of her sophomore year in peace. Malia and Stiles were safe as well. The Desert Wolf had been defeated. Mason was fine. He seemed to be back to normal. Hayden could only be saved by Scott's bite.

Marlow halted in front of the morgue doors. Parrish was standing in front of them. She narrowed her eyes at him. "What are you doing here?"

Parrish turned to Marlow. He looked like he hadn't slept in days. "Someone named 'Deucalion' called me. He told me to come here. Any idea why?"

Marlow shrugged. "I wish I knew. Trust me, I don't want to be here as well. Let's just go in and find out," she said. She took a deep breath. She didn't want to go but she trusted Deucalion. If he summoned them to the morgue, he would have a good reason for it. Marlow pushed open the doors and walked inside.

She halted, looking at Deucalion standing over Riley's dead body. "Hey, what the hell are you doing with my niece?" Parrish asked angrily.

Marlow held him back. "That's Deucalion," she told him. She turned back to the Alpha. "But he's right. What are you doing with Riley's body?"

Deucalion turned around to face them. "When I heard that your friend was a werecoyote-witch, my interest in her was peaked. You see, I once knew a lovely couple. Jonah was a werecoyote and Sophie was a witch. One day, they had a child."

Marlow looked at Riley's body. It was drained of its color. The wound on her neck looked had dried out at that point. She had no idea what Deucalion was hinting at. Though she wasn't exactly surprised that he knew Riley's parents. They seemed to have been popular among their kinds.

"For a few years, everyone believed she had taken after her mother only. Then, at age four, she experienced her first full moon and it became apparent that she was a hybrid. They are rather rare among the supernatural community, but every once in a while it happens."

"Get to the point, please," Marlow chimed in.

Deucalion raised his finger. "Ah, yes, the point. The point is that when I heard she died, I had an epiphany. You see, when hybrids die, they never truly die. They just..."

Marlow closed her eyes. She had felt as though there had been four heartbeats in the room the entire time. The fourth one was faint. "Evolve?"

"Exactly, my dear Marlow. They are comprised of two supernatural races after all. So, my thought was that one of the halves died. And the other just needed some time to regenerate."

Parrish looked at his niece's body. "So, you're saying..."

"She's been alive this entire time, yes," Deucalion told him.

Marlow was frozen in place. She had been agonizing over Riley's death for two days at that point. If there was even the slightest of chances that she was still alive...

She wanted to say something but couldn't find the right words. Parrish took the words right out of her mouth. "Which half died?"

"That, I do not know," Deucalion replied. He shrugged when he noticed Marlow and Parrish's looks. "I know quite a bit but even my knowledge ends somewhere. My best guess is that her stronger half probably made it out alive."

Marlow could hear Riley's heart starting to beat stronger. She was still unable to move. Even as Riley's chest began to move, she stood still. Parrish walked over to Riley's side, worriedly glancing down at her. "And you think she'll come out normal? Like, with no repercussions?"

"Once again, she never truly died. So, yes, I do think she will come back just as she was."

"Her heart is beating stronger. I can hear it," Marlow finally brought out. She walked up next to Deucalion. She narrowed her eyes at her neck. "Is the wound..."

"Disappearing? Yes, I believe it is."

The wound slowly disappeared. The entire thing was too weird to understand. Suddenly, Riley sucked in a deep breath. She grabbed the sides of the steel bar and opened her eyes. They were now glowing purple, instead of her former blue eyes. Riley sat up with a start. Marlow and Parrish jumped back. Riley's breath came out in ragged heaps as she looked around the room. She tightened her grip on the sheet that was covering her body.

"Oh, my God," Parrish whispered. He pulled Riley into a hug.

"What happened?" Riley asked, her voice raspy.

"I think your uncle can explain that to you. I should get going," Deucalion replied. He turned and walked out of the morgue. Marlow rushed after him. She had questions.

She walked up in front of him. He stopped in his tracks. "Why did no one remember Riley?"

Deucalion sighed. "I..." Marlow gave him a look. She knew he was about to lie. He didn't even have to open his mouth. "I don't know for certain. I haven't seen her parents in ten years after all. But, I do know that around the time of their disappearance, they were dealing with a particularly nasty demon."

Marlow raised her eyebrows. "A de... demo... what?"

Deucalion chuckled lightly. "Yes, Marlow, even demons are real. But unless you are attacked by one, you will probably never even come face-to-face with them. The witches among us take care of them every day."

Marlow narrowed her eyes at him. "That's not all you know."

"No, it is not," Deucalion admitted.

Marlow crossed her arms in front of her shoulder. "Tell me. Why does no one remember Riley?"

* * *

Marlow sat in the boy's locker room at school, waiting for Liam to show up. It had been twenty minutes already and she feared he wouldn't show. She sighed, deciding to give him a few more minutes. Normally, she would let sleeping dogs lie. She had made a mistake when she broke up with Liam and she would have to pay for it.

She knew that every time the two met there was something between them. She could practically feel his lingering gazes on her. But he was with Hayden and Marlow knew she couldn't just expect him to come back to her. That wasn't why they were meeting anyway. Marlow had to get something off her chest. Something she couldn't tell Riley or Mason or anyone else around her. She trusted Liam to keep a secret.

The door opened and Liam finally walked in. "Close it, please. I have to tell you about some sensitive information."

Liam nodded and closed the door. He walked up to Marlow. "So, this is a little weird."

"You can say that again," Marlow said, a faint smile forming on her lip. Liam chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm not here to demand you get back with me. I know I made a huge mistake letting you go."

There was the slightest change of expression on Liam's face. Marlow bit her lip. Once again, she could tell there was still something between the two. It was not over. She held back her next comment. "Okay, okay, no need to gloat," she joked instead.

"What did you want to talk about?" Liam asked. Marlow could tell he wanted to end the conversation as fast as possible.

Before Marlow could answer, the door was pushed open once more. Her heart jumped. Mason rushed into the room. "Guys, what are you doing? I thought we were all studying in the library to do some catch-up work."

Marlow looked at her phone and sighed. "Sorry, Mase. I forgot," she told him. She grabbed her bag and got off from the bench.

Liam grabbed her arm before she could walk past him. "Wait, what did you wanna tell me?" he whispered.

Marlow looked over at Mason, then back at Liam. "It can wait," she assured him.

His eyebrows furrowed. Marlow pushed past him before he could ask more questions. She threw her arm around Mason's shoulder and the two walked out into the hallway. Liam rushed after them. "I am so glad to have you back," Marlow said, squeezing Mason tightly. "Oh, and also, I know you ate your twin in the womb. Don't you dare think I'm gonna let you live that down."

Mason chuckled. "You are such a rascal, Marlow Stilinski."

"Well, what can I tell 'ya?" she shrugged.

The trio met up with Riley, Corey, and Hayden in the library. Marlow could feel Liam's gaze lingering on her already. She chose to ignore it. She didn't want to act on her feelings and alienate Hayden in the process, especially if she was completely misreadings Liam's feelings.

Marlow plopped down on a chair next to Riley. Mason and Corey disappeared into aisles almost immediately. Marlow smiled at them. Then she looked over at Scott, Stiles, and Lydia sitting at a nearby table. Malia was still off dealing with the fall-out from her fight with her mother. Kira had left for the desert already. Marlow had had her tearful goodbye with the young Kitsune, her first real girl friend, a day prior.

Scott met Marlow's gaze. The two smiled at each other. Soon enough, he, Stiles, Malia, and Lydia would graduate and it would be up to Marlow to deal with any future supernatural shenanigans. She looked over at Riley, still unable to grasp the thought that her best friend had nearly died a few days ago. "How's life as a witch, Riles?"

Riley dropped her pen onto her notebook and leaned back in her chair. "Honestly, very cool. I barely feel that my werecoyote side is gone. Well, apart from not being able to heal but I can work around that. I'm just kinda pissed I missed the big fight."

Marlow chuckled lightly. Riley turned back to her school work and Marlow's gaze wandered around the library once more. All of her friends were safe. Maybe she could finally have that peace she had wanted to feel the whole year. Her smile slowly faded. She should have talked to Liam. She looked at Riley, fidgeting with her fingers. No, she couldn't tell her. Not yet. How was she supposed to tell her best friend that her supposedly dead parents were still alive?

**Author's Note:**

> This story has been on Wattpad for a while. I wanted to rework it and post it again so here it is! I hope you like x)


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